


~Clear as Crystal~

by Shy_Fawnz4591



Series: Clear as Crystal [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Angst and Tragedy, Awkward Romance, BloodClan (Warriors), Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Kittypets (Warriors), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Redemption, Second Chances, Slow Romance, StarClan (Warriors), Survivor Guilt, ThunderClan (Warriors), What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25841890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shy_Fawnz4591/pseuds/Shy_Fawnz4591
Summary: 'There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws.' When Firestar first heard of this prophecy he thought things would be simple! And yet... What if they weren't the kin you were expecting? AU! In an unexpected turn of events, the universe of Warriors is overturned and certain things that were meant to happen do not. This is simply due to a certain prophecy, one as old as time itself having a slight difference in the mix. Enjoy :)*Also crossposted on FanFiction.net*
Relationships: Firestar/Sandstorm (Warriors), Ruby/Barley (Warriors), Various Character Parings
Series: Clear as Crystal [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875139
Comments: 22
Kudos: 18





	1. The Prologue of this Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're in for a wild ride :')

**~~ Allegiances ~~**

**~~ThunderClan~~**

Leader: Firestar - Ginger tom with a flame-coloured pelt and a paler orange underbelly, bright emerald-green eyes.

App: Bramblepaw

Deputy: Greystripe - Long-haired grey tom with a darker grey stripe running down his back, flint-yellow eyes.

Med-cat: Cinderpelt - Dark smoky-grey she-cat, dark blue eyes.

Warriors:

Mousefur - Small dusky-brown she-cat, hazel-coloured eyes.

Dustpelt - Light dusty brown tabby tom, amber eyes.

Longtail - Long-tailed pale brown tabby tom with black stripes, pale blue eyes.

Sandstorm - Pale sandy-ginger she-cat with hardly visible darker stripes on fur, pale green eyes.

App: Sorrelpaw

Willowpelt - Pale grey almost-white she-cat with unusual blue eyes.

Cloudtail - Long-haired snowy-white tom with a fluffy tail, blue eyes.

App: Rainpaw

Brackenfur - Dark golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes, long legs.

Thornclaw - Golden-brown tabby tom, long curled light-coloured claws, light greenish-yellow eyes.

App: Sootpaw

Ashfur - Pale grey tom with darker grey flecks, dark blue eyes.

Brightheart - White she-cat with ginger splotches along her back, light blue eyes.

Goldenflower - Pale ginger she-cat (the colour of ripe barley), golden-yellow eyes.

Lynxfang - Light ginger tabby tom with black patches and yellow eyes.

Mistlestem - Pale grey tabby she-cat with darker stripes, white paws, and very pale yellowy-green eyes like mistletoe berries.

Frostfur - She-cat with a beautiful white coat, dark blue eyes.

Cricketpounce - Pale brown tabby tom with greyish-brown eyes, strong haunches.

Apprentices:

Bramblepaw - Broad-shouldered dark brown tabby tom with pale amber eyes, lighter brown belly fur.

Sorrelpaw - Long-furred white-and-tortoiseshell she-cat with tufted ears and a lightly dappled coat, slightly wavy fur, and sandy-yellow eyes. (calico)

Rainpaw - Very pale grey (almost white) tabby tom with unusual blue eyes.

Sootpaw - Light grey tom with amber eyes and a dark grey mottled chest.

Queens:

Fernsong - Pale grey she-cat with darker grey flecks, light green eyes. Expecting Dustpelt's kits.

Elders:

Dappletail - Once-pretty tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, lovely dappled coat with white patches. Very pale brownish-amber eyes.

Speckletail - Pale golden speckled tabby she-cat with light grey eyes.

One-eye - Pale grey she-cat, the oldest cat in ThunderClan, virtually blind and deaf. Has one yellow eye.

**~~WindClan~~**

Leader: Tallstar - Skinny black-and-white tom with a very long thin tail and a white tail-tip, amber eyes.

Deputy: Deadfoot - Black tom with a twisted paw and dark blue eyes, long scar on back of neck.

Med-cat: Barkface - Short-tailed dark brown tom with a faint dark ginger undercoat, pale-yellow eyes.

Warriors:

Mudclaw - Wiry mottled dark brown tabby tom with yellowy-amber eyes.

App: Nightpaw

Onewhisker - Brown tabby tom with one white whisker longer than the others. Amber eyes.

App: Gorsepaw

Eagleflight - Lanky light grey tom with amber eyes.

Tornear - Wiry grey tabby tom with a torn right ear, blue eyes.

Runningbrook - Light grey tabby she-cat with pale blue-and-green eyes (one eye is blue, the other green)

Webfoot - Dark grey tabby tom with lighter-coloured paws, darker fur down back and around face. Amber eyes.

Tawnyfur - Golden-brown she-cat. Light golden eyes.

Morningflower - Light-coloured tortoiseshell she-cat with bright green eyes.

Rushtail - Skinny, creamy-brown tom with pale golden eyes.

Oatwhisker - Creamy-brown tabby tom with dark grey eyes.

Darkfoot - Black-and-white tom with grey paws, bright amber eyes.

App: Robinpaw

Ashfoot - Grey she-cat with yellow eyes. 

Pigeonspeck - Dark grey tom with white patches, pale brownish-amber eyes.

Sorrelcharm - Grey-and-brown she-cat with light green eyes.

Bristletuft - Small wiry-haired black-and-white tom, bright yellow eyes.

Wrenflight - Brown she-cat with amber eyes.

Whitetail - Small white she-cat with light smoky-blue eyes.

Apprentices:

Nightpaw - Slender black she-cat with bright amber eyes like a sunset sky.

Gorsepaw - Short and thick-furred ginger and white tabby tom with a severe but healed deep scar running from his chest to neck, green eyes. Oldest apprentice due to injury.

Robinpaw - Light brown she-cat with bright blue eyes.

Queens:

N/A

Elders:

Stagleap - Huge stocky broad-shouldered dark brown tom with amber eyes.

Doespring - Light brown she-cat, pale blueish-green eyes.

**~~RiverClan~~**

Leader: Leopardstar - Dappled golden tabby she-cat with unusual dark golden spots, bright orange eyes.

Deputy: Mistyfoot - Sleek-furred blue-grey she-cat with ice-blue eyes and a plumy tail, pink nose.

App: Featherpaw

Med-cat: Mudfur - Long-haired light brown tom with a pale brown belly, bright orange eyes.

Warriors:

Blackclaw - Smoky-black tom, silvery-grey eyes.

Vixenshade - Black she-cat, dark yellow eyes.

Loudbelly - Dark brown tom, long fluffy belly fur and light brown eyes.

Reedtail - Pale grey tabby tom with a darker tail that is long, thin, and straight like a reed. Pale green eyes.

Sedgecreek - Light brown tabby she-cat with grey-blue eyes, darker swirled striped markings like the currents of a creek.

Heavystep - Big thickset brown tabby tom, dark blue eyes.

App: Dawnpaw

Sunsplash- White and reddish-ginger she-cat with bright green eyes.

App: Reedpaw

Shimmerpool- Glossy-furred brown she-cat with pale orange eyes.

Waterpatch - Spotted pale golden tabby tom with light blue eyes, one white paw.

App: Pikepaw

Mosspelt - Tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with blue eyes, fluffy white chest fur.

App: Stormpaw

Grasswhisker - Brown-striped tabby tom with long pale-coloured whiskers, pale green eyes.

Swanmist - Silver and black tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.

Sunfish - Pale brown tabby she-cat with ginger markings on belly, dark yellow eyes.

App: Swallowpaw

Silverbranch -Light grey tabby tom with brown speckled legs, silvery-grey eyes.

Apprentices:

Pikepaw - Dark smoky blue-grey tom with darker mottled markings like a fish, brilliant blue eyes.

Reedpaw - Black tom with dark grey eyes, faint dark reddish-brown undercoat.

Stormpaw - Muscular dark stormy-grey tom with dark flint-yellow eyes.

Featherpaw - Silver tabby she-cat with sky-blue eyes and a soft, feathery, plumy tail.

Dawnpaw - Very pale pinkish-grey she-cat with green eyes.

Swallowpaw - Plump brown tabby she-cat with green eyes.

Queens:

Shadepelt - Very dark grey she-cat with grey eyes. Expecting Loudbelly's kits.

Elders:

Lakeshine - Mottled long-haired grey-and-white she-cat, yellowish-blue eyes.

Mallowtail - Tortoiseshell tabby-and-white she-cat with green-brown mackerel tabby patches, white-splashed muzzle. Deep emerald-green eyes. (Torbie)

**~~ShadowClan~~**

Leader: Blackstar - Large white tom with black ears and huge jet-black paws, one of which has 6 toes.

Deputy: Russetfur - Very dark russet-ginger she-cat with green eyes.

App: Cedarpaw

Med-cat: Runningnose - Small grey-and-white tom with a perpetual sniffle. Hazel-coloured eyes.

App: Littlecloud - Very small brown tabby tom with light blue eyes.

Warriors:

Oakfur - Small light brown tom, dark grey eyes.

App: Tawnypaw

Wildfur- Messy-furred silver tabby tom with blue eyes and white paws.

Boulder - Big skinny grey tom with a torn ear and very pale whitish-blue eyes.

App: Rowanpaw

Dawncloud - Small pale ginger tabby she-cat with very pale ice-blue eyes.

Finchflight - Black-and-white tom with brownish-green eyes.

Quietbreeze - Small brown tabby she-cat with pale green eyes, white streak above nose.

Turtleshell - Dark grey, brown, and white tortoiseshell tom. Yellow and amber eyes. (one is yellow, one is amber.

Tangleburr - Grey-and-brown she-cat with long tangled fur, amber eyes.

Wetfoot - Grey tabby tom with very dark blue (almost-black) eyes.

Stumpytail - Brown tabby tom with darker stripes and a short stumpy tail,

App: Lavenderpaw

Swampgaze - White tom with dark brownish-green eyes.

Brownbush - Very pale brown-furred tom with a spiky-furred darker brown tail, golden-brown eyes.

App: Fennelpaw

Frogtail - Very dark grey tom, dark green eyes.

Nightwhisper - Scrawny sleek brown tom with green eyes and a distinctive pointed muzzle.

Newtspeck - Mottled black-and-ginger tabby she-cat, blue eyes.

App: Snowpaw

Flintfang – Grey tom with thick-furred paws and dark brown eyes.

Ratscar - Scarred dark brown tom with a torn ear, distinctive long scar across back. Dark greyish-amber eyes.

Apprentices:

Tawnypaw - Pale tortoiseshell she-cat with dark green eyes, faint pale ginger splotch on her back (the colour of ripe-barley).

Rowanpaw - Lithe muscular dark ginger tom with amber eyes.

Lavenderpaw - Silver she-cat with darker spots and lavender-blue eyes (very pale greyish-blue, almost-white eyes).

Cedarpaw - Dark grey tom, dark brownish-amber eyes.

Fennelpaw – Small tortoiseshell-and-brown she-cat, grey eyes.

Snowpaw - Beautiful sleek-furred pure-white she-cat, greyish-green eyes.

Queens:

Nightwing - Slim black she-cat with green eyes. Expecting Wetfoot's kits.

Tallpoppy - Long-legged light brown tabby she-cat with very pale golden-green eyes. Mother of Blackstar's kits:

Smokekit - Black tom with green eyes.

Snakekit - Dark brown tom with a tabby-striped tail, a white blaze on chest, and amber eyes. Has six toes on one foot.

Elders:

Rowanberry - Cream-and-brown she-cat with amber eyes. Retired early from breathing issues.

Brightflower - Elderly bright orange tabby she-cat with a broad flattened face, wide-set amber eyes.

Scorchwind - Skinny ginger tabby tom, dark amber eyes.

Ashheart - Pale grey she-cat with blue eyes.

**~~Cats outside Clans~~**

Ruby - Thin grey she-cat with dark reddish-amber eyes, scars along her sides.

Barley - Muscular black-and-white tom with light brownish-yellow eyes (the colour of a barley field.)

Skipper - Dark brown tom with a scar on his muzzle, brown eyes.

Ravenpaw - Plump jet-black tom with a white dash on chest and white-tipped tail, bright vivid green eyes. (I've chosen lime-green eyes but cats don't really know that colour in warriors so I'll just describe it like this)

Smoke - Soft-furred grey she-cat, pure bright blue eyes.

Darkkit - White tom with dark marks around his eyes and blue eyes, fluffy black tail.

Sasha – Tawny brown-and-cream furred she-cat with a darker face and paws, ice-blue eyes.

Moth - Dappled dark golden tabby she-cat with a tawny cream-coloured chest, amber eyes.

Hawk – Broad-shouldered dark brown tabby tom with a white underbelly and ice-blue eyes.

Hattie - Pretty brown tabby she-cat that lives in Firestar's former home.

Jake - Soft-furred flame-ginger tom with leaf-green eyes, long-healed nick in one ear.

Princess - Light brown-and-white tabby she-cat, leaf-green eyes.

Willie - Tabby tom with a lighter muzzle.

Snapper - Long-furred tri-coloured tom with a torn ear, scarred pelt.

Brick - Ginger tom with a patch of fur missing on his back.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Cats that have died from BloodClan battle:

**ThunderClan:**

Whitestorm - Long-haired pure-white tom with sleek fur and sandy-yellow eyes, tufted ears.

**WindClan:**

Ryestalk - Grey tabby she-cat with soft fur and amber eyes.

Rabbitnose - Pale brown she-cat with a fluffy white belly, yellow eyes.

Flywing - Snowy-white tom.

Gorsetail - Brown tabby tom with a tawny brown paw and tail.

**ShadowClan:**

Fernshade - Tortoiseshell she-cat.

Deerfoot - Muscular pale brown tabby tom with a light grey chest, amber eyes.

Wolfstep - Large dark grey tom with a sleek plumy tail and white tail-tip, torn ear.

Darkflower - Black she-cat.

Nutwhisker - Brown tom with amber eyes.

**RiverClan:**

Primrosepaw - Very pale creamy-brown she-cat with white paws. (Killed by Tigerstar in lead-up to BloodClan battle)

Voleclaw - Grey tom.

Dawnbright - Ginger-and-white she-cat.

Beetlenose - Broad-shouldered tom with crow-black fur.

Frogleap - Grey tom with a striped tail.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

_“Who, who are you really?_  
 _And where, where are you going?_  
 _I've got nothing left to prove_  
 _Cause I've got nothing left to lose_  
See me bare my teeth for you  
Who, who are you?”

_\- Who Are You, Really? (Mikky Ekko)_

**~~Prologue~~**

_Time can sometimes heal, and sometimes it can hurt._

And right now, Ruby was hurting. She was left to reel from the aftermath that had been dealt to her from all her past mistakes that seemed to follow her like an unwanted shadow…

The rain poured down and soaked the already damp grey fur of a cat hunching near the body of another, her amber eyes somber and dull. The drops of water dripped off the slick pelt, darkened with the wetness that was firmly drenched in the thin strands, as the skies above shed the cold soaking rain that echoed her own grief; her concentration was kept on the unmoving heap of black and white fur that sprawled in front of her - the eyes that normally shone with green were for the final time closed and faded under the eyelids. They would never again be hardened with pain or determination, thanks to the hunger that finally rid him of his life. Everything… everything had been leading up to this eventual demise.

_How did things get to this point? I should have done more!_

If only she and her brother had been able to get more food and a safe place to stay, they would have been fine and maybe they might have found some more housefolk to look after them, even after what happened with the last ones they had lived with... If only she had managed to change the actions that set about the course of this downward spiral so many moons ago...

_If only... she had been stronger…_

Thanks to Scourge, that life was cut short now and she would be making her own way to wherever a semblance of salvation would take her in these gusty winds of water that battered at the elements. No more would Socks provide her with his share of the meal, as such was life on the streets. This much was to be expected in these harsh times. Was it really all of Scourge's fault though? The answer was not clear like she once thought and believed.

Little did Ruby know that this was the start of everything, rather than the end.

After staring numbly at her lifeless brother's body for a few moments more, she tore her gaze away from the grim sight and moved her paws with the intention of going somewhere. There was one issue with this though.

Ruby wasn't sure where to go next. She was stuck at an impasse of life and death; the world seemed too big and her too insignificant to really comprehend the next best path to take. It would be up to her now, to face this daunting reality that stared her in the face and… she did not feel ready in the slightest at the prospect. She could only let out a wheezing breath of despair as she screwed her haunted reddish-amber eyes up in misery.

_'Please help me Socks... I don't know what to do!'_

Unknown to her, far away at this time a prophecy that was already ancient was being discussed… the consequences that would result from this were of grave importance and in some ways related to her tremendously.

Little did she know just what was in store for her… this seemingly ordinary cat named Ruby.

Little did she know... something bigger was going on, on in the ranks of a place caught in between day and night, between the confines of life and death itself.

StarClan was, after all, an unknown concept to one such as her at this point of time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a rising uproar happening in the ranks of StarClan at this current moment. This was a very unusual event seeing as it was normally a peaceful haven for the cats that passed on from Clan life, whether it be sickness or other unforeseen circumstances. In other words, this was unheard of… and it unsettled and bemused many onlookers.

This had come about due to a decision that had been made and carried out without the approval of the others residing there, and right now it was sparking a rising debate. One cat in particular was uneasy about the discussion as she looked on at the others, uncertainty glimmering in her deep blue eyes. She was troubled, that much was clear. The source of the trouble wasn't hard to guess.

"There will soon be a prophecy that shall be delivered to the fire of the Clans, Firestar. But when the time comes for it to be fulfilled, will the cats chosen be the right ones?"

The question was taken up and passed around by the many cats of StarClan that frequented its grounds. A bony and furless tom that wasn't expected to join in with anything related there raised his rasping voice, causing an intermediate pause as he stated his opinion for the first time in many seasons of seclusion.

"Perhaps it would be best to, shall we say… give the other kin a chance? The great leader of flames has other family around. They just have yet to show their worth… and it would bring about the salvation of the Clans sooner, rather than later."

This drove one observing she-cat into action, her blue-grey fur brisling with disbelief and mouth open with a retort just waiting to be made.

"You cannot be serious Rock! We cannot give such a gift to the other kin of Firestar, it wouldn't be right!"

Bluestar stared incredulously at the hairless tom with narrowing eyes and let out an indignant hiss.

"If this truly happens then everything we expect and know for certain will change... there will be no going back! It might ruin the outcome of the prophecy altogether! The Clans have a chance of being doomed! Besides… none of us knew what relatives he had until we passed on…"

The blue-grey she cat's vice trailed off as her eyes went unfocused while recalling the information she possessed. Even after discovering the truth of Firestar's kin a season ago now, she was still internally shocked. She would have never guessed that… that… monster that almost destroyed all the clans would be linked to her Clan's savior. 

_The fire of ThunderClan…_

The ancient tom just gazed at her steadily with his bulging unseeing eyes and said nothing, so certain he was of his idea. He could already hear the suggestion being passed on around him and he knew that it would be considered accordingly so he was not worried. Bluestar froze as she picked up on that too, resignation leaving a heavy stone of worry in her belly as she realized this had a very good chance of being a reality and there was nothing she could do to stop the inevitable. 

_Can nothing truly change this? Are the Clans finally reaching destruction?_

The murmurs of many feline shapes grew louder with the passing of words, and the unease in the starry night air was picked up easily by surrounding cats as the prophecy older than time itself was discussed and altered forever. That change to the prophecy would have more effects than one could realize, and the consequences of it would echo across time and send cracks all over; it would be akin to the shattering of ice as it plummeted towards its destination. In short it was a butterfly effect. Nothing would be the same again.

How much would it change the current state of all the Clans?

Only time and the following events would tell.


	2. Ruby's Various Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby gets into some tricky situations and reminisces about times gone by...

_‘I've been ghosting, I've been ghosting alone  
Ghost in the world, ghost with no home  
I remember, I remember the days  
When I'd make you oh so afraid’_

_\- Ghosting (Mother Mother)_

**~~Chapter 1~~**

The Twolegplace was a maze of dens, and one could easily get lost if they didn't know where they were going. That seemed to be what was happening to Ruby now, and she was scared at the sight of the many Twoleg nests that seemed to rise up and close in around her. It gave her the feeling of being trapped and wasn't helping her situation in the slightest. The many emotions and grief from her brother's death still clutched at her heart and filled her mind as she swung her head wildly around her in an effort to make sense of the surroundings. They seemed to spread everywhere in her vision, and it was enough to make her thoughts spin and slight panic to set in.

She breathed in and out in an attempt to calm down and closed her eyes tight with a shaky whimper. This was bad – her anxiety was playing up again and it was at the worst time too! She opened her amber eyes to slits and continued observing the open space.

With an anxious twitch of Ruby's tail, she angled her ears toward a faint sound that was heard nearby. It turned out to be a falling rubbish bin lid, and she let out a tiny sigh of relief. It soon turned out that there was more than just that close by though, and her paranoia returned in full force. In her visible ribcage, her heart started beating in an erratic way like a trapped bird and her eyes widened.

There was another cat looking directly at Ruby with a cold narrowed gaze on their scarred face; what caught her attention and frightened her like nothing else though was the weathered spiked collar that adorned the cat's neck. That collar with all its bones and claws (some of them broken) brought back a myriad of memories that kept her rooted to where she sat on the dirty hard stone ground.

The other cat started to slink towards Ruby and that was when she realized that even if she was completely lost, anything was better than letting the ghosts of the past and regret ruin her just by letting this BloodClan cat tear her apart. Was it really the best way though? After all, didn't she deserve it for how she treated Tiny all those moons ago? She probably had contributed to how Twolegplace was run now with a hierarchy of battle-ready ragged cats that weren't afraid of hurting others… just because they could.

_Oh Quince… help me!_

She wanted her mum, but that was impossible now. She was on her own and at the mercy of this battle-hardened feline who she realized was a she-cat as she came closer. Ruby started to back away with shaky legs weak from many moons of constant hunger, not keen to get into a skirmish with her current physique. Luckily for her a dull roar of a Twoleg monster distracted the attention of the unknown grey cat and after a flinch of her own, she was able to sneak away while the scarred she-cat whipped her head around briefly to look at the impending beast.

_Move… MOVE!_

The urgent words filled Ruby's mind and spurred her on faster and faster; it was all just to get away from this nightmare of a place. Her breath came in ragged gasps and her legs and ribs ached so much, she was surprised that she could bear to keep on running. It must have been the adrenaline that rushed through her veins that prompted her to keep going, to get farther away from that other cat that watched her with those eyes that that carried a clear sense of apathy and hostility aimed at her.

Tree-lengths and tree-lengths passed her by and there was a growing pain in her ribs that escalated with each paw step she took from that forsaken place.

Ruby's almost-tussle with that she-cat stayed on her mind long after her escape, and she winced with the thought of wounds hindering her as she travelled. She was so weary and the exhaustion of everything was now catching up with her, managing to seep into her very bones. As she now padded slowly along the edge of the Twolegplace (that other cat was long gone) she was given time to think and dwell over the past moons and the memories that she carried with her, like an unwanted shadow.

If she had been asked moons ago of the chance to fix what had been broken, Ruby never would have imagined herself feeling anything different than what she had always harbored for the unwanted one of her siblings, but now times had changed.

That much was obvious when one of her recent nights' rest had chosen to send her a dream about the now infamous 'Scourge' during her restless sleep that was now as common as her hunger that ate away at any other pains she may feel. Hunger was a constant companion.

Of course the dream itself had given her a new perspective and succeeded in making her feel…some sense of remorse for past grievances. That much was certain when she found herself trapped in a memory, watching her past actions against the smaller and weaker brother; the startled shock of watching him flinch and shrink back when she taunted him alongside Socks had engraved itself in her thoughts and the shame it it had brought now cascaded over her, making her feel less than nothing. She was truly a mousebrain. A horrible, and yet regretful mousebrain. With probably no way to fix it or redeem the way she had been. There could be no forgiveness for someone like her.

_"Unwanted kittens get thrown in the river!"_

The words she had deigned to use so easily and thoughtlessly at the time now haunted her, causing her strides to be slower and uncertain. Now as she reflected on past choices, she realized she and Socks had been unfair and at the time they had brushed it off with indifference. But now… things may have been different if the actions they had both taken had been altered sooner. It was all too late, and she was painfully reminded as she saw the subtle changes of her littermates' appearance and personality over time. He was not the same cat anymore. Like them, life had changed him into something so very different, and not in a good way.

All of this had resulted in their little brother Tiny becoming colder, bitter, crueler… and Socks… Well…

_Don't even think about it!_

Ruby shook her head in an attempt to chase away the regrets and thoughts that slipped through the cracks of her mind every so often and, after a pause to catch her breath, she resolved that she needed to keep going; she still needed to find a new life, the one that Socks had promised they would both have. Although she would now have to do so without him, she would make sure to live peacefully in his honor. Or at least try.

_And that's a promise!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Woah I succeeded in writing a longish chapter here! I struggle sometimes with wondering what content I can use to make the chapters longer...  
> Hopefully I can keep doing the same with upcoming chapters... anyways... poor Ruby she's had really bad luck so far but maybe soon things will change :')
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors and etc etc


	3. Getting over the past by holding a ceremony!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Firestar updates the audience over some things that happened some time ago, and reassures himself that yes he is a good leader and won't let you forget it :') 
> 
> 1\. Honoring noble warriors (check)  
> 2\. Giving hyperactive kittens off to the totally responsible mentors to bother them instead (check)  
> 3\. Reminisces over how awesome those warrior names are that he loaded onto Ash and Fern yesterday (check)
> 
> Just another normal day...

_‘Here we are again  
The same old place  
There's still a fire inside  
New lines on my face  
Everything's the same  
But it's all changed  
The pieces still make the same picture  
Even though they've been rearranged’_

_\- Visions (Sea Wolf)_

**~~Chapter 2~~**

There was a certain restlessness lurking in the forest of the Clans and it had been there since the battle with BloodClan a little more than a moon ago.

The battle in question still weighed greatly on the mind of a green-eyed flame-ginger tom that sat on his haunches in front of his den, gazing out at his Clan that were going through their daily actions with energy and purpose. Everyone was now pretty much recovered from the great battle that had shaken the forest to its core, and they were doing what they could to settle back into normalcy.

The wary glint in everyone's eyes and pricked ears was still present though, and that was one the only signs that the clans were being more cautious and careful than before; the only trace that something huge had occurred was also easily observed through the aggressive and skeptical way intruders were now dealt with. This was hardly surprising.

In hindsight, everyone was on edge in case anything else were to happen; it wasn't just ThunderClan taking precautions… every Clan seemed to be of the same mindset at this current point in time. Any rogue or strange loners were chased out of the forest without mercy, as if their lives depended on it.

All the clans were certainly more careful now, that much was true. Seeing his Clan's behavior around him now as they peacefully went about the day's patrols and other various activities (occasionally with faint hesitancy hidden in the demeanor of the apprentices) gave Firestar time to reflect on how his leadership was progressing, and he hoped he was living up to Bluestar's expectations; he certainly hoped so.

Any major doubts that he may have had before had successfully been swept away when ThunderClan had believed in him and fought alongside him in the recent major battle, and even the other Clans had accepted his authority and trusted him when it came to BloodClan. LionClan had been victorious, but he still felt regret and slight uncertainty when he thought about the losses abstained. He couldn't help but feel Whitestorm's death was because of him, no matter how many reassurances he was given by his friends. The senior warrior had been a noble and good friend to Firestar until the very end.

With a sigh, he decided that he needed to shake off these thoughts for now although they always dwelled in his spare moments. Now it was time for a ceremony he needed to fulfill, and it was one of which Whitestorm would have appreciated, he was sure. His legacy was sure to live on within the recipients of the upcoming event being held for the Clan’s oldest kits. Sorrelkit, Sootkit, and Rainkit had finally approached their sixth moon and it was time to carry out his duty and a promise he had given to Sandstorm.

Maybe after this he'd go for a walk, just to reassure his sister that he and Cloudtail were fine in spite of all her worries for them. He could understand Princess’s fears despite he and her son visiting her a handful of times since the battle; they had been so unsure of their survival against a group such as that, and he remembered telling her so. Yet he always had that little spark of belief that he and the others would pull through. Still… it was nice that she cared so much.

With an optimistic purr Firestar made his way towards the Highrock, casting his shadow on the stone walls that lined the Leader's den behind him, and greeting his eager mate as he passed her. Her sleek pale sandy-ginger fur was starting to spike in excitement and he stifled a smile of amusement as he revised the words for his first ever ceremony of this sort in his head. It was important that he pull this off confidently and with dignity, after all Sandstorm had been anticipating this event for a while as well. He would not let her or the Clan down.

He had been able to complete Ashfur and Fernsong's warrior ceremony the previous day and was sure that this following naming event would go just as smoothly. He just had to believe in himself and his Clan. The two that he had just thought of nodded to him as they slipped out of the Warriors den, recovered from their vigil the night before and ready to see their first naming ceremony since their own specific one previously. The sun made their pale pelts look like wisps of smoke in the soft light.

"Now remember you must look good for your big ceremony, and don't forget to listen to what your mentors tell you!"

Willowpelt's soft but firm voice could clearly be heard amidst the hustle and bustle of activity around her as she licked her kits' fluffy pelts into submission; Firestar could make out their protests as they tried to duck out of their mother's administrations but to no avail.

Sorrelkit's section of white fur (reminiscent of her father) in contrast to her dark tortoiseshell coat was gleaming as bright as fresh snow in the shafts of light that were dotting parts of the camp's ground. Her dainty paws kneaded the floor impatiently as she waited for the summons of the meeting; the frenzy of excitement in her sandy-yellow gaze was obvious to all around her, and her brothers Sootkit, as well as Rainkit echoed the same expression in their own amber and blue orbs. The sight of them was heartwarming to all who were surrounding the energetic family and a source of relief too, as Firestar knew only too well how important this was for the plucky Sorrelkit after she had that scare with the deathberries some moons earlier.

Not far away, Firestar's loyal deputy Greystripe was sitting and watching his mother and half-siblings, a definite gleam of pride visible in his flint-coloured eyes. They caught each other's gaze as the young leader padded past and his oldest friend sent him a smile full of confidence, giving him a sense of luck in the endeavor he was about to take. For this Firestar was grateful.

After Firestar had scrambled up the Highrock that was mildly warm due to the NewLeaf sun beaming down on it, he took a deep breath, readying himself for what was to come and pride filled him as he looked down on all his cats; he took in their shining eyes that were trained on him and waiting for his call. It was still an incredible feeling, being looked at with respect that is; he still sometimes felt daunted but it occurred less and less as time went by.

Now was the moment to spring into action.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

His authoritative yowl rang around the clearing, bringing with it any Clan members that hadn't noticed the meeting coming to a start. He could see Cinderpelt coming out of her den to attend, and various other cats that had just arrived from hunting and patrolling were paying attention too.

When he was certain that everyone was there (Bramblepaw had just come out of the Elder's den, finished with his duties) the fiery tom began his announcements.

"As you know, we have been lucky enough to have made two new warriors yesterday… "

The Clan let out yowls of approval and happily cheered the new warriors names again as Ashfur and Fernsong sat with their heads up and stature proud.

Cloudtail raised his voice in support of his foster siblings while he sat next to Brightheart nearby, and Firestar felt proud of his nephew and everyone here, especially the two cats being acknowledged right now. Brindleface would be happy if she was here, he was certain. That left a prickle of sorrow in him but he let it pass; the ceremony needed to be continued. Frostfur he recalled was Brindleface's sister, and she was now congratulating the two in her place, so that was considerate of her.

He spoke the words that he had heard many times himself, watching with warmth tingling through him, as the excitement in Sandstorm's eyes was apparent as she touched noses with her new protégé. Then it was Sootkit and Rainkit's turn and with a firm nod of his head, he chose the mentors he thought would be most suitable for this job.

"Sootkit, from now on your name will be Sootpaw. Thornclaw, you have proven yourself to be a capable and sensible warrior. I trust that you will teach all you know to this young apprentice and make him a warrior the Clan will be proud of!"

The golden-brown tabby looked gratified and he smiled as he looked at the smaller light grey tom that he proceeded to touch noses with.

"I'll do my best Firestar, I guarantee you."

The ginger tom looked at him with approval.

"I'm sure you will."

Now it was on to Rainkit and he had a good idea of who to pick as a mentor for the kitten that looked so much like Willowpelt.

"Rainkit, from now on you will be known as Rainpaw. Cloudtail, you have grown into a loyal and courageous warrior. I'm certain that young Rainpaw here will benefit from your teaching."

His long-haired snowy-white nephew affirmed his words and with a grin he stepped forward and, as customary, they touched noses. With that the ceremony was over and everyone congratulated the new mentors and apprentices with purrs and energy. Firestar felt satisfied with how it had gone, and he was glad he hadn't stumbled over his words like he feared after all! 

_That's another victory for me as Clan leader._

He thought as he readied himself to spring off the rock and take up that earlier notion of a peaceful walk. Sandstorm was coming over to him with happiness radiating from body language, but he just gestured that he'd talk to her soon; with understanding lighting up her gaze, she walked over to talk with Frostfur instead.

He wanted to muse over things by himself for a bit.

Clan Leaders did need alone time after all they did for the Clan. At the very least, that was how he justified it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow this chapter I wrote is pretty long! (I'm actually impressed with myself here lol) When I sat down to write this, I wasn't sure if I'd be writing much or not but it seems this chapter turned out longer than I thought haha :') I got really in depth with Firestar's POV here and his thoughts on how he runs the Clan so this is how it turned out... I will probably occasionally be switching difference characters POVs throughout some chapters depending how it goes. We'll see... oh and Ruby will make a reappearance soon don't worry.  
> Disclaimer: Yep I still don't own Warriors sadly...


	4. When you just can't get a rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just who is that cat, and what are they saying? 
> 
> Ruby is discovered by strange cats with scars and stuff while she wanders near deja vu places of olden times over yonder (like her old home which i think was next to the forest? *quickly searches through Rise of Scourge* Yes that seems to be all in order I think...)

_‘Cause I've grown tired of this body  
A cumbersome and heavy body  
I've grown tired of this body  
Fall apart without me, body’_

_\- Body (Mother Mother)_

**~~Chapter 3~~**

Ruby was aching with tiredness.

After escaping the confines of the Twolegplace late yesterday and reaching the forest, she wanted to lie down and let sleep claim her. At least the weather had cleared up and changed back into its sunny Greenleaf self but now there were many more problems she would have to face such as where to settle down for the night.

She didn't quite trust the woodlands where she now found herself staring up at the trees and at the marks on the fence that kept the Twolegplace separate; Ruby was certain that she had seen it before… many moons ago… she just could not be certain! It was a strange feeling, and one that left a thought niggling at the back of her mind. The pretense that she was fine had kept her going for a while, as well as what she had resolved to do for Socks, but now she was desperately hungry and motivation was slipping away from her; her paws were so heavy and felt like lumps of stone, hindering her progress.

She had also never really been taught how to hunt, an oversight that she now regretted. The countless trees that towered over Ruby seemed to whisper promises of change to come in the soft breeze that swayed their branches so lush with life, and it was oddly soothing but still not enough to make her shake off the wariness that perpetually clung to her slumped stance. She then shifted defensively, stiffening as her nose picked up something stronger than the pollen that drifted through the warm gentle air, and her eyes narrowed slightly at the smell she could pick out in that cloyingly sweet breeze.

It was subtle but Ruby was sure that the scent of another cat was being carried towards her and that whoever they were, they weren't far away; they were somewhere in the general vicinity. She couldn't bring herself to care this time, as she was too weary and couldn't lift a claw to defend herself. It seemed that without rest, she was extremely vulnerable. Burying that thought she sighed, leaning her flank against the wooden fence with a drawn-out breath from uncomfortably dry lips; there hadn't been a source of water to drink from for a while now, so she was running low on energy in general. The cat scent was becoming stronger and seemed to be approaching from a bit farther down the path with a quickness that she didn't hadn't anticipated, and now she could definitely make out that it was most likely a wild cat padding this way. This alarmed her and she attempted to scan the area with her eyes hastily for a hiding spot, but she failed and the scent strengthened.

With a feeling of rising dread Ruby looked up from where she was internally panicking and when her eyes caught the wild cats' startled emerald ones, she froze. There was a flame-ginger tom standing there, and he possessed fur that had the intensity and colour of burning fire. It was somehow mesmerizing to see and somewhere a hidden memory that was so faint screamed that this was important and crucial to understand; she didn't comprehend why but it seemed this tomcat was someone to trust. In fact, now that she thought about it and looked at him closely… he had a similarity that mirrored a picture that she had gazed upon once at some point in her life, a likeness that her mother had described during kithood…!

Was this a dream?

Ruby's mew escaped out of her before she realized, and it trembled and cracked with the effort of speaking after such a long period of disuse, making her wince from the exertion.

"Ja-Jake?"

The cat across from her started and gazed at her with confused and wary eyes that narrowed into a glare of suspicion; his lips curled back into a snarl that also held a tinge of slight alarm.

"What are you doing in this territory? Who is this Jake? I don't know you!"

Truthfully the ginger tom was alarmed. He had heard of that name just once many seasons ago, but had never dwelled on it in the course of his Clan life…and yet now… his interested was piqued.

He stalked forward and readied himself to attack but paused when Ruby shrank back in fright and trembled from the harshness that sprang up in the fiery tom's strong voice, wondering how to get herself out of this situation. Seeing her reaction, the flame-pelted tom did his best to relax his stance and tone when he next spoke to her with a gentler, but still guarded, inquiry.

"You're not from BloodClan, are you? Because if you are…"

His meow trailed off and Ruby couldn't help wondering what would happen if she was, but decided she didn't want to know after some careful consideration. She shook her head but the fire-coloured tom seemed skeptical. The cat asked yet another question.

"What are you doing near ThunderClan territory?"

Now at this, Ruby blinked.

"ThunderClan?" 

_As in those wild clans that face all kinds of beasts and other dangerous things? The ones Mother mentioned I presume?_

When she gave her answer with puzzlement plain to see, the demanding tom visibly deflated in what was maybe relief? Ruby didn't know exactly, but he seemed much more relaxed after that, and slightly less cautious.

"You're definitely not with them then, that's good to know."

Now she was perplexed and it must have showed, for the flame-coloured tom gave her a slight twitch of his whiskers in amusement. After giving her a brief quizzical look, he shrugged and went on to explain his wording in a way that was straight-to-the-point.

"Now, I don't know for what reason you called me what you did… but I'm not a cat named Jake or anything, I'm Firestar. But I must insist that you tell me what you are doing so close to our borders. We take intruders seriously, you should know."

He finished his short introduction with a dip of his head and Ruby did the same after a moment of confusion. She didn't know how to respond to that so she just stared at him for a few heartbeats. This wild cat was weird. Then she unexpectedly started to feel dizzy and lightheaded, the world spinning around her with considerate speed.

Firestar was opening his mouth, intending to interrogate her for answers again (especially in concerns to that comment about Jake for StarClan's sake!) when he noticed the mysterious she-cat swaying on her paws and the light in her eyes dimming considerably.

She was about to black out!

He snapped to attention in a split second and rushed forward to stop her before she collapsed, noticing, as he got close that she was radiating a great amount of heat.

Firestar gritted his teeth for a moment in indecision and then leaned towards her neck to attempt to pick her up, startled to find she was actually pretty light to carry but then again, she was awfully skinny so he shouldn't be surprised. 

_Great StarClan, she has an awful fever! Who is she, and where has she come from?_

That warmth was definitely burning her up… he needed to get her to Cinderpelt, and fast! Who cared if she was some intruder he'd never seen before in his life, he didn't want the loss of another innocent cat on his conscience like Whitestorm! 

_No more unnecessary deaths, StarClan please._

With a heave, he started to drag her along with him beside the fence, intending to head back from whence he came.

After a few fox-lengths he paused for breath and wondered for a few mousebeats on how he would approach this task he had chosen to carry out so promptly, wondering if maybe he should see if Princess was around to help. He had wanted to see her after all, so this could work both ways; he just needed to summon her here or search the general area, but that might take too long. He inhaled deeply and after a deep breath, he yowled as loudly as he could to carry his meow into the Twolegplace.

"Princess! Princess! Are you there!? I need your help!"

Hopefully his sister was nearby…

His visit that had meant to be a semblance of peace for his worrying mind had turned out to incite more concerns for him after all, and he felt slight exasperation in his chest at the irony of it all. Life was just never simple, that was for sure.

Firestar was about to holler again but halted when he picked out his littermate's light soft tabby fur coming around from the fence further down the path he was currently stranded on. He waved his tail in greeting and released a small smile when she responded back with a faint purr of delight from her distance that was steadily creeping closer.

When she was close enough to get a good view at Firestar, she gasped with alarm at the condition of the cat that her brother was attempting to help. Whoever they were, they did not look well at all! With a quick nod at the silent question proposed to her through Firestar's desperate green eyes, she proceeded to reach down and clamp her jaws over the she-cat's scruff to lessen the load her littermate was trying to drag along. After a few more heaves of the much-too-light cat, the both of them froze at the distinct rustling of some shrubbery close-by. That conjured a question that arose in both their minds simultaneously in response to the sound.

Who could be witnessing this?

There were a pair of eerily familiar amber eyes peering at them from the shelter of a nearby bush, sending a jolt of fear through Firestar's fur as it spiked up at the apparition of his dead nemesis glaring at him from where he hid. After a few tense moments though, he calmed as clarity washed over him and then he wanted to growl at himself when he figured that as Tigerstar was dead, there was definitely another explanation for this sudden appearance, one that made more sense. With that, he sighed and his fur lay flat again as he realised who must be watching him and Princess with the strange cat shared between their jaws as they attempted to lift her again.

"You can stop lurking in the bush and come join us, Bramblepaw."

He stifled an eye-roll as the young tabby tom apprentice crept out of the arching fronds, looking slightly ashamed at being caught in the act of spying.

"I'm sorry Firestar… I… erm… didn't mean to intrude on your meeting with your sister. It was an accident, I promise!"

His amber eyes that resembled his father's were wide and earnest as he stuttered his excuses (an expression Tigerstar would never show), and Firestar couldn't bring himself to be angry with him, as he should have picked up on Bramblepaw's presence if he were paying more attention to what was happening in their surroundings. That just proved how occupied his mind was.

The young ginger leader let out a breath and tried to look encouraging to his abashed pupil.

"It's okay Bramblepaw, in fact, how about you help us with this poor cat here?"

He pointed his muzzle towards the grey she-cat that lay limply between him and the uncertain Princess. A spark of pity arose within him for the defenseless huddle of fur looked like it needed a few good meals.

The dark brown tabby frowned at the actions being taken with the skinny non-Clan cat in front of him and decided he needed to find out more of what was going on before doing anything. With that line of thought in mind, he pushed forward with his restless inquiries before they escaped the clutches of his churning mind.

"Um… so Firestar… what is happening here exactly? Why is that rogue just lying there?"

To his credit, Firestar looked uncertain and hesitant about the decision he had quickly made, but nonetheless answered Bramblepaw's questions without much pause.

"To be honest Bramblepaw, I don't know what happened to this cat exactly but she seems to have gone through a lot… and she has a terrible fever that needs treating. I'm sure ThunderClan can handle a cat in need for a bit, after all, her condition will worsen if nothing is done. I don’t think she’s much of a threat either, honestly…"

This last bit was muttered around the mouthful of the grey cat's fur that Firestar was doing his best to carefully maneuver over the uneven ground, and his sister's input seemed to be hindering rather than achieving the opposite affect. After debating with himself and the needs of his leader for a brief period of time, Bramblepaw finally sighed in resignation and nodded in understanding. He padded toward the goodhearted ginger tom and assisted with lightening the load, uncertain about how the rest of ThunderClan would react to this. After all, it wasn't the first time Firestar had helped cats displaced from their homes or starving – he was a compassionate leader, there was no doubt about that.

Princess left to go back to her Twolegs as they proceeded further into the forest but she insisted that Firestar should let her know how the grey cat was recovering, to which the ginger tom agreed. Bramblepaw once again wondered about this plan that was being carried out so readily. After all that was happening in recent times… would this she-cat make a valued addition to the ranks of their Clan? What was going to result from this? Pushing their way through the Camp entrance with a startled Brackenfur on guard, the young dark tabby could only speculate at what could occur from this unexpected encounter.

_I wonder how things will turn out?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This was fun to write and read through for spelling mistakes :) I like when the story starts picking up too and being more exciting mmm yes
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. If I did, then Ruby would get her redemption in a novella or manga probably haha
> 
> Why hello there James L Barry ^ ^;


	5. The audacity of staging a rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Essentially about Firestar's discovery of a certain she-cat, who might or might not be familiar to him. 
> 
> Oh and Brackenfur's questioning of himself on the whole situation. Who in the name of StarClan is this cat!?

_‘Yesterday  
All my troubles seemed so far away  
Now it looks as though they're here to stay  
Oh, I believe in yesterday’_

_\- Yesterday (The Beatles)_

**~~Chapter 4~~**

Brackenfur’s amber eyes were filled with questions as he stepped aside in order to let his leader and Bramblepaw go past with their unexpected guest. He then narrowed his eyes and shrugged to himself. Firestar would surely make an announcement to the rest of the clan as to what was going on because he certainly had no idea. With that self-reassurance he nodded to himself and sat back down, turning his golden-brown head toward the line of trees that were visible in the distance.

Firestar in the meantime was debating with himself in what to do next. The most logical plan of action was to summon a clan meeting, and with the amount of attention he was receiving with the grey she-cat he had been dragging, that would not be a hard endeavor at all. Bramblepaw had already slinked away towards the apprentices’ den he noticed.

_Probably to tell the others… I shouldn’t take too long with informing the Clan myself._

The fiery-pelted tom let his gaze travel around the camp he treasured so much, taking in the many eyes trained on him, as well as more heads swiveling around the longer he stood there in the center of the clearing.

Bending his neck to grasp the rogue’s scruff again, he wasn’t aware of a sandy-ginger she-cat making her way towards him from near the clump of nettles, nor the rabbit she clutched in her mouth after sharing tongues with his group of friends. A nose nudging his side however got his attention promptly.

“So what’s this then?”

Sandstorm met eyes with him, confusion pronounced in her pale green depths and her tail swishing a little as she looked over the grey cat with uncertainty. The rabbit she brought with her lay at her paws and it beckoned him with its enticing smell. Firestar couldn’t eat yet though; there was still so much to do, namely what to do with this grey cat, and what to tell his mate at the current moment.

“That is actually a really good question… All I know about her really is that she was wandering around near those TwolegPlace fences, and that she seems to be starving and very weak. I couldn’t just leave her there to die.”

Firestar didn’t mention what the unknown cat had said to him but it was hardly important at the moment, he thought.

Sandstorm wasn’t sure of this answer though, and her eyes narrowed with suspicion and slight fear.

“You don’t think she could be related to BloodClan do you? It would be just like them to stir up trouble again… It hasn’t been that long since the last battle. I hardly think we’ve seen the last of those tyrants.”

The flame-furred tom thought for a moment. Privately he agreed with Sandstorm about those misgivings, as such a group like that could never be satisfied with giving up completely, but in this situation he just felt a certainty that he couldn’t really explain. This grey cat seemed important somehow and he had the feeling they could be trusted, and that they weren’t embroiled with that Clan of bloodthirsty brutes.

_Only StarClan knows why…_

He blinked his eyes open to the present and answered his mate’s fears with a calmness that even impressed himself.

“I don’t believe so. Honestly I think this cat is just a wanderer. We can send them away once they’re healed, I’m sure.”

Sandstorm still didn’t look convinced but she let it go hesitantly.

“Well if you’re sure.”

She shook herself from the slightly somber mood and pushed the rabbit towards him with warm green orbs.

“I just came back from giving Fernsong a squirrel as she seems to be feeling hungrier as of late and I also brought us a rabbit to share. I thought you might appreciate it.”

Firestar nodded with a smile. That did sound tempting…

“That would be great, thanks Sandstorm. Although… would it be possible for this cat to be taken to the Medicine-den first? I don’t like the look of those scratches…”

His voice trailed off as he took in the full extent of the rogue’s cuts and scrapes, as well as all the ribs jutting out in the cat’s bony frame.

_Great StarClan this cat has been through a lot!_

His sandy-ginger mate’s eyes widened as she now noticed the state of the cat as well.

“I can’t believe I didn’t see this before! I’m sorry Firestar, I’ll get Cinderpelt right away!”

She sprinted towards the crack in the rock that the dark smoky-grey she-cat dwelled in and popped out with Cinderpelt in tow; the Clan medicine-cats’ back leg was held off from the ground in a deliberate manner. Seeing that reminded Firestar of past regrets but he couldn’t dwell on it now.

They had a cat to save and he had a Clan to gather. That all worked out with keeping the members of the Clan up to date, and to do that, another Clan meeting would be held.

And so… with his head held up high and with a nod with Cinderpelt to take the injured cat away and another nod for Sandstorm to save the rabbit, he headed to the Highrock once again for the second time in that day. The eyes of various members followed him as he did so.

He had a Clan to run.

* * *

_“Here Ruby, eat this… I don’t need it.”_

_Socks pushed a scrap of chicken scavenged from a dumpster towards his sister and gave a faint smile, one that was worn down and faded from the countless moons of little food and exhaustion. His breathing was harsh and labored, and his ears were permanently flicked back from the stormy weather that had plagued them in the ever-cold Leafbare wind; they were ragged and sad-looking._

_Ruby looked at the scruffy piece of food and almost groaned at the feeling of repressed restrain that stopped her from leaping at the scrap with a desperate hunger, one that was borne from the starvation and hard-living so common in these streets._

_“But… but what about you?”_

_She whispered out the question with a dry and cracked-feeling mouth, and her dull reddish-amber eyes stayed trained on that chicken while her stomach felt like it would cave-in on itself. She needed this; she was starving. They both were starving. Wasn’t there any way to fix this!?_

_They would probably both die at this rate; their bony bodies would be left behind to be picked at by some scrawny crows and then consumed by the elements as the seasons wore on. It was only a matter of time and a lack of food that would do them in in the end, she was certain. Her brother Socks on the other paw was insistent on their survival or in particular, her own._

_“No matter what happens, no matter what life here throws at us… you must promise me something Ruby. I’ll promise you something too. Absolutely no matter the cost, I will ensure your survival! You must never worry about food, as I will always find a way. You just need to promise me you’ll live, no matter if one day I cannot manage to. You must never ever give up. Promise me that, Ruby!”_

_His green eyes had held an intensity that had then drawn her own reddish ones to his own and she had nodded, nodded to say that she understood but also conveyed her own fears and her despairing thoughts that had gradually been creeping up on her day by day. She didn’t fully agree with this and the black-and-white tom knew it too._

_Ruby never wanted Socks to die, for what was she going to do then? She feared for the day that this nightmare would happen._

_And so then of course… one day it did._

_And of course in the end, it was her own stupid, selfish fault._

Letting out a wheezing gasp and a hoarse groan, Ruby opened her eyes to a sight that left her deeply confused, and with a lurch of slight alarm, she struggled to sit up. Just in front of her was a smooth stone wall with clefts that held a bunch of fragrant plants, and after observing this environment for a bit, she scrambled to her paws. On closer inspection they looked bound with cobwebs and herbs. The same-looking concoction was spread on the sides of her flanks as well she noticed. This was very befuddling.

_Who knows how long I’ve been here for? It’s not the TwolegPlace, that’s for sure!_

She was currently situated in a place unknown to her, and she had the strange sensation that there were a bunch of unfamiliar cats staring at her from outside the den with reproach and suspicion in their eyes that were akin to the expression that unknown ginger tom had fixed her with a little while ago… They were obviously wary of strangers it seemed, or maybe something had occurred to make them behave this particular way?

Ruby didn’t know what exactly was happening, but it was certainly making her uncomfortable. A slight cough from somewhere in the den diverted her festering thoughts and she turned her stiff neck towards the direction of the sound, startled to spot a dark smoky-grey she-cat blending into the shadows of the rock.

_Has she been here this whole time?_

The idea of someone watching her as she slept was pretty creepy, and not to mention rude. But what would she know of strange cat groups? Sure there was that one group named BloodClan but she highly doubted they would be as accommodating as whoever these cats were so far.

_Or maybe it’s that weird ginger star cat leader that organized this… those other cats out there do not look the friendliest._

In the meantime she would wait and see.

Meanwhile, that dark grey she-cat whom had just spent ‘who-knows-how-long’ observing Ruby started to move forward, bringing Ruby’s attention to the injured hind-leg that limped as it touched the floor, making a slight scraping sound. It made her curious about how they had received such an injury in the first place.

“You’re currently in the ThunderClan Camp and this is the Medicine-cat’s den. My name is Cinderpelt and our leader Firestar brought you here from just outside the forest. Do you know who you are? You’ve been unconscious for a few days now.”

The darker grey she-cat looked at her quizzically as she stood there, her head tipped to the side as she bombarded Ruby with all this information and her various questions.

Ruby just stared at her without speaking. That seemed to give the other cat some idea to keep talking for whatever reason. Maybe it was to reassure herself? Ruby had no idea, but she tuned it out; maybe this ‘Firestar’ would have the answers she needed.

Speaking of him… Where was he _?_ She was about to drag herself out of this den, away from that talkative grey cat, and demand answers from any of these lurking cats out there when the one she had been wondering about in question suddenly appeared in her view.

_Finally!_

Maybe he’d actually explain what he was talking about previously in a way that made sense.

He looked towards her and seemed to be of the same mindset for his jaws opened with the intention of question her, and Ruby wasn’t the slightest bit surprised with what he started with.

“So who are you exactly?”

Ruby’s ears twitched in slight annoyance and she let out a soft imperceptible sigh of impatience.

This was going to be a long afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Once again I exceed my own expectations of how long a chapter turns out to be :')
> 
> Disclaimer: No I don’t own Warriors. I only own the alternate last names for some cats that go unnoticed in the canon books. GIVE THEM SOME LOVE ERINS.


	6. The place which one wakes up in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby is woken up to cheeto cat and his sidekick cinderthingo after zoning out for like 3 days straight. She has to explain to them why she's hanging out here and just WHO IS SHE?
> 
> Welcome to the Clan I guess?
> 
> er thank u O w O

_‘Do I know what you are feeling  
Here on neutral ground?’_

_\- Neutral Ground (Sea Wolf)_

**~~Chapter 5~~**

Ruby was certainly right in that it took the whole afternoon to explain whom she was and where she had come from. Her rapt audience that consisted of Firestar and Cinderpelt were attentive listeners, but at some points throughout they did ask some pretty silly questions. It was as if the ginger tom was trying to reassure or confirm to himself about something. The smoky-grey she-cat on the other paw just went along with what her leader did.

“So you were not with BloodClan at all? What do you know about them?”

Ruby gritted her teeth in annoyance. She had already explained in great detail that:

1\. No, she had not been in BloodClan and who would want to join that group of bloodthirsty rogues anyways?

2\. As she had clearly stated that she was not affiliated with BloodClan, how in the deepest depths of those Twoleg dumpsters would she know anything whatsoever about them and how they worked!? All she knew was all that gloating her former brother had spouted out when she and Socks had gone to him all those moons ago in the first few days after the abandonment, that day when he had doomed them… when…

_No I promised myself to stop remembering that!_

So she was under the impression that these two were not the smartest cats she had met; it was just her opinion though – they could be good at other things. They probably didn’t mean to give that vibe to others but if that was the case, they were definitely failing miserably.

_I thought these Clan cats were meant to be fearsome and logical but it seems to be false pretenses._

Ruby thought this to herself as she sat in front of the leader and his medicine-cat. The two aforementioned cats were now having a whispered and hurried conversation between each other while she waited in a state of exasperation for them to finish. Firestar seemed to be nodding to himself, further confirming what Ruby thought about any reassurances he dwelled on.

They didn’t offer her even a glance as they continued saying whatever they did. It must have been quite important if they were so distracted not to think about a new cat that had shown up only days ago. From the looks of outside the medicine den though, the rest of the cats that were hanging around camp seemed to show a healthy sense of curiosity and hostility.

_Strange it hasn’t shown itself so much in the so-called leader and his friend here. Are all Clan leaders like this?_

Ruby didn’t have time to mull much though, as now Firestar had finally deigned his time to start addressing her and raising his mew to normal pitch.

_Well here we go…_

“I know that it seems like we aren’t taking your presence here seriously but believe me if we weren’t, we would not have brought you here as a prisoner nor held you under guard while you were recovering.”

Here he nodded at a couple of cats that lingered outside the den and that Ruby hadn’t actually taking any notice of until now. The two dipped their heads in acknowledgement and stepped back to take up their posts again, their pale grey and white pelts fluffed up against the slight chill in the air.

The flame-coloured tom continued.

“See the gist of it is…rogues have been causing nuisance near these Clan territories recently so as a precaution, we have been keeping a close watch on you while you’ve been recuperating to make sure nothing occurs… hence our suspicions. But I must say you’re an enigma. You’re most unlike other rogues I’ve dealt with.”

At this he narrowed his eyes and shared some look with Cinderpelt that Ruby couldn’t decipher.

She snorted, annoyance starting to take over in response to the words that were being directed at her in casual discretion.

“Are all wild cats as judgmental as you? You keep calling me ‘rogue’, and I have no idea what that means! Is it meant to be an insult or something?”

The words she spat out in irritation gave her a sense of satisfaction when she observed the taken-aback look ‘Firestar’ responded with, and this made her wonder if she was secretly sadistic or something. The tom deserved it though! Even though he had seemed genuinely nice, he really needed to think and consider his words before speaking.

The smoky-grey she-cat that had remained surprisingly silent until now spoke up, the disapproval making itself clear in her mew.

“Firestar is Clan leader, you know. You need to show him some respect and curb your temper. He and I are just trying to work out your intentions.”

With a frown, she opened her mouth again to say more but Firestar touched her shoulder with his flank.

“No Cinderpelt it’s okay, I’ll manage this.”

She looked at him disbelief, as if she doubted this and couldn’t comprehend how calm he stayed. It seemed these two were definitely friends and knew each other well. Ruby offered no apologies to her so-called rudeness as Firestar started to say something else, and neither did she listen either. Her mind was on other things, namely what to do from here on out.

Cinderpelt’s last sentence stuck in Ruby’s mind and ended up being repeated by her unconsciously.

“My intentions…?”

She shut her mouth quickly. She hadn’t meant to say that! She didn't want to give any advantages to these cats but it was already too late. Firestar and Cinderpelt’s ears pricked up and they were now alert.

“Yes… What are your intentions, rogue?”

Ruby wanted to groan with irritation at the name but decided that if she wanted to improve this right now, she would need to give her name.

“First of all, my name is not rogue. It is Ruby. Second of all, do there need to be any intentions? I only arrived here and woke up a short while ago!”

She let out a shaky breath after saying this. She hadn’t spoke so much and so fiercely in such a long time. It was like a remnant of her old self, before so much had changed.

Firestar’s voice interrupted Ruby’s inner argument with herself about giving her life details and name.

“Every cat has intentions. I would be shocked if a wandering cat like you didn’t. It is only a question of what it could be and whether it harms the Clan.”

Ruby was reaching the end of her admittedly short wits and snapped.

“Well I don’t, okay!? I don’t know what I’m doing or where I’m going a-and… and… I just… need… safety and a routine.”

The last bit was whispered out in a kind of trance and to Ruby’s own surprise was absolutely true. She really had nowhere to go or what to do now that she wasn’t with Socks anymore. He had always made sure that everyday had some sort of task or a goal and now she had nothing. Any sense of protection she had felt before was gone.

Ruby hoped these forest cats were actually decent enough and were fair enough to give her sanctuary. Maybe she could help them in their duties? If not, she would most definitely give in to her despair.

She needed the company and the order.

She needed this.

She needed to see just how far she would go for these strangers who had saved her and maybe telling the leader these things had been a good start, for he did actually look sympathetic now after her outburst. Her true desperation must have finally been conveyed.

“Well… if that is truly the case, I think something could be organised,” Firestar said after a short pause.

Cinderpelt’s dark blue eyes now met Ruby’s with a hint of understanding and pity, which made Ruby want to wince. Admitting defeat and giving herself up to these cats was all she had left in the remains of her shattered pride. She had no choice with it though, if she wanted to live like Socks had made her promise in the days leading up to his demise. She had to bear this and one day, hopefully, she would be stronger.

“We will need to give a proper explanation about what’s happening to the Clan, Firestar. Everyone has been wondering why we’ve been hosting a non-Clan cat in our midst for the past few days. Even with that clan meeting you held earlier, they’re bound to protest and question this.”

The fiery-ginger tom nodded and closed his emerald-green eyes in deep thought.

“I know Cinderpelt, and we will let them know now. It seems that the time has come for another summons. So much more has happened in the past few days than I can scarcely believe. It feels like a time of great change has come to the forest; I wonder what more can be in store for our Clan in these troubling times? I feel like there will be more than this to worry about in the future. It’s just a feeling I have.”

He shook his head to clear any misgivings and flicked his tail. Cinderpelt blew out a puff of air and followed him out of the den, her scarred back-leg limping behind her.

Ruby stayed back for a few more moments afterwards but then decided that if she was going to involve herself in this business, she might as well go out and endure the fuss that was surely going to occur with the contents of this Clan meeting. It was time to face the rest of the Clan as well as any fears she had with this fateful choice.

She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath, feeling her chest tighten with anticipation of the rising volume of mutterings she was starting to hear out there.

It was time to prove that she could be brave and was worth standing there amongst the others that questioned her very presence.

“Would all cats old enough to catch their own freshkill please join beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!”

That was Firestar’s confident yowl ringing out in the Camp’s clearing now.

Ruby stepped forward and through the den’s entrance to the Camp beyond.

It was show time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yasss... SHOWTIME!
> 
> A/N: Comments are always welcome :) I really love seeing the interest people have in this story, thank you!
> 
> It encourages me to keep writing and develop the direction in which it will head...


	7. The deciding factor in unexpected new homes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Ruby finds decisions concerning her made right in front of her without much say and input to what exactly is going on... That fiery ginger leader and the rest of those hooligan cats seem to go on and on don't they? Also I wonder who is trying to exert their influence on her mind...
> 
> Sorry Ruby ^ ^; *bows*

_'All my senses become acute_   
_In it, defects, in pursuit'_

_\- Reconfiguration (Other Lives)_

**~~Chapter 6~~**

Almost immediately, the murmuring started up and pressed up against Ruby’s pricked ears. The tense atmosphere that surrounded her flared up as if a storm was brewing and moving quickly through the ranks of cats that inhabited the camp.

_They don’t want me here_ , she realised with a shaky breath.

Well she couldn’t really blame them. She had intruded on their lives and Clan schedule. Various glares were pointing her way and the grey she-cat’s fear scent only became more pronounced in this frozen moment filled with nothing but hostility.

A cough broke the increasing rise of suspicion-filled mews and snapped Ruby’s doubtful thought process into a desperate sort of hope. Firestar would fix things.

She believed in him. At least she hoped the belief wasn’t misplaced like most things in her past.

Some cat spoke out against the uncertainty of the crowd, as well as several others that Ruby couldn’t see.

“Who is this rogue and why have they been staying here in our camp!?”

“BloodClan scum!!”

“Drive her out!”

Firestar’s patience wore out at these accusing yowls and he threw back his head with a piercing growl.

“Silence! I will explain everything in this Clan meeting and afterwards if there are still issues, you can share them then.”

The muttering stopped as the Clan members raised their narrowed gazes to him. Ruby was awestruck at the sight.

What was this?

_It’s the sign of a good leader._

**_Or a weak one…_ **

That voice was eerily familiar, and not in a good way.

What… Those were definitely not her thoughts. What was happening to her?

The intimidated grey she-cat scrunched her eyes shut and tried not to outwardly tremble. She was already clearly going crazy but she couldn’t let these strange cats know that. Her life from now on would be in their paws. She needed to hide these insecurities she had and act like she knew what was going on, to blend in.

_Fake it til you make it._

She forced her eyes to stay open and looked up at the silhouette of that fiery orange cat against the vivid hues of the bleeding sunset. It made her breath catch in her throat. The so-called HighRock that Firestar stood so confidently on looked as though it were bathed in shadows of rich, dark, blood. It could be taken as an omen if one were to believe in that concept.

And wasn't that thought reassuring?

Ruby had to snap out of it. She was, in a way, being introduced properly to ThunderClan and yet she kept being taken by surprise at what was happening around her. It wouldn't do for her to display her inwardly fragile state any further than she had already done so far. These cats shouldn't see her acting so weak. Ruby needed them for her protection, and she needed to learn to trust in them too. So far she had probably given away too much.

"As everyone is aware, during my morning patrol a few days ago I discovered this rogue on our territory. She was very weak and starving and so I thought it best to bring her here, as she needed to recuperate from whatever happened to her. Also... I do not believe she is involved with BloodClan."

At these words dissent rose quickly from the rest of the Clan.

"Not BloodClan you say? Where does she come from!?"

"I don't trust her... She must be a part of those BloodClan scum!!"

"What is a rogue doing on our territory!? She shouldn’t be here!"

""Everyone let Firestar speak and listen to your leader!" 

Cinderpelt's firm meow cut through the others' words with the desired result. Some of the outbursts lessoned to an extent. The sound didn't die out completely though.

The rogue in question once again shut her reddish-amber eyes against the cacophony of hostile yowls that were directed at her. She just felt so weary of all this. Why did she have to get brought here from where she had collapsed? Why couldn't this Firestar just let her be? What was the point of this discussion?

_I'd rather be with Socks if this is the result of survival!_

That thought snapped her out of it. She had promised him the opposite, after all.

"Quiet everyone! This cat is wounded and clearly not in any state or mindset to bring down our Clan from the inside. If I had thought there was a risk of that caliber, I would have taken precautions I assure you! As it is, I would like some volunteers to take a patrol out after the meeting is adjourned and while that is organised, some guards posted to keep an eye on our guest would be greatly appreciated. We'll discuss that now. Meeting dismissed!" 

Ruby was impressed despite herself. This leader had managed to quell his Clan's misgivings and given them ways to satisfy their worries at the same time! He was probably an even better leader to his group than Scourge was. Any cat probably was, if she were to consider that notion.

She let her eyes roam around from where she set in the center of the clearing and took note of the other Clan cats milling around and breaking off into little groups to mutter things; it was probably about her if she had to guess. She knew there would have to be disagreements about her presence there, as not everyone had the same opinion as Firestar but even so... 

It was admirable what was being done for her sake. With that thought, Ruby then let her gaze settle on the cluster of senior warriors high-ranking cats that were most-likely deciding what to do with her in terms of Firestar's instructions. If she listened closely enough she could pick up what they were saying with her sensitive hearing. She pricked her ears. It wouldn't hurt to know the exact plans if they involved her, she reasoned with herself.

..."Should keep a guard posted outside that prisoner's den just in case anything were to occur, right Firestar?"

A long-haired and shaggy dark-grey tom seemed to make a suggestion to which the flame-coloured leader nodded.

"It would be wise, and would reassure the rest of the Clan that we have their fears in mind and are doing something to cover those suspicions. Good thinking, Greystripe."

He agreed and went on with seriousness in his countenance.

"We do have to keep in mind though that there could actually be a retaliation of some sort from any BloodClan remainders at any point in the future. Maybe not now but it's always a possibility we must consider..."

A small mousy-brown she-cat jumped in before he could go further.

"In any case, are we really in any position to just keep an unknown rogue trapped in our camp if those are thoughts to consider? It has been a hostile period of time during these last few moons, Firestar. I don't really know if now is the time to take bold actions like this, especially when we have the memories of BloodClan still haunting our minds. The other Clans would object!" 

This cat spoke exactly what Ruby had on her mind. Those words also echoed dully and really spoke to her in a sense that she identified with. BloodClan had become the ghost that haunted everyone's thoughts, and not just her own. Would these Clan cats understand? For some reason, it began to matter very much that they should understand what Ruby had gone though. She did not know why. Maybe acceptance was what she craved? Some sympathetic ear to share her plight to?

"They may well object, Mousefur... but the truth of the matter is that this cat needs help. I can never reject a cat in need, especially when there is something I can do about it. You should know that by now."

Ruby didn't really understand this, but what he was saying was admirable...

"Besides, she could become useful to the Clan. We do need more warriors after the battle with BloodClan. It could surely only help. There are some advantages to gain from these uncertain times." 

"Only you could find something positive from this, Firestar."

The exasperated response came from a pale sandy-ginger she-cat that sat amongst the deciding group. Ruby watched in surprise as the two butted heads in an affectionate gesture that she didn't expect to see in a big tough Clan like this.

_Well then..._

That signaled to her that this clan definitely wasn't as rigid in rules as BloodClan seemed to be during her brief glimpse of that forsaken place. It was a relief to know, honestly. Was any clan as restrained as BloodClan in matters like this? 

Maybe not; there could surely only be one truly dangerous Clan such as that one in this lifetime.

Hopefully.

Now they were turning their gazes to her and not even trying to hide it. Firestar also kept his eyes on her as he whispered to the same shaggy grey tom as before; it was most likely about the patrol thing he mentioned earlier. Once that was done the grey tom went on his way and the remaining cats came heading Ruby's way with purpose and carefully guarded intrigue in their eyes. They intended to do something with her presence there, obviously. Ruby guessed this would be her first proper interaction with the Clan cats since that sudden induction into the Clan and she wasn't certain what to feel. 

She let out a hoarse breath as they got closer to her.

"Um... So what's happening now?"

The mousy-brown she-cat, Mousefur, gave her an appraising look with slightly narrowed hazel eyes. There was also a slight amused gleam there that took Ruby by surprised at the unexpectedness of it. The reason for why that was there became clear in the next moment, and made her hiss in disbelief. 

"We're going to set up the prisoner's den for you. Guards will be posted outside on Firestar's orders, so you better not try any funny business. Also, you will have to keep your own bedding clean and a guard will escort you back and forth from Dirtplace and anywhere you go. It's only the right thing for an intruder as yourself, after all."

The she-cat told her this with a tone that spoke of no-nonsense, yet the slight sarcastic humour in her eyes offset it in the slightest way at Ruby's response.

"Usually the apprentices would be in charge of helping you with this but, well, we don't trust your intentions, rogue."

A long-tailed pale brown tom stated this with a matter-of-fact shrug, but with a frown on his face to counter it with seriousness. Clearly Firestar's interest in Ruby had been noticed by other cats, especially these ones that were in charge of the Clan's security. They were most likely going to have fun with her unfortunate situation and she would have so much joy being watched like a hawk all the time, until they got used to her presence, she supposed.

Only one word summed up this situation she found herself in.

_Mousedung._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow I'm going pretty okay with this! (in terms of an update schedule I mean) I'm usually not the most organised in updating my stories and deciding when to upload them but I'm trying to keep a relatively not too long gap between updates on here...
> 
> One of the main problems may be me not actually planning and plotting out chapters in advance... I'll try and keep on top of that the best I can while revising for any upcoming university assignments I may have :)
> 
> We'll see how it goes!


	8. The fears that threaten to crush you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby has been through much, so much that she doesn't know how to stop the memories that haunt her waking and dreaming hours. 
> 
> Firestar tries to lend a listening ear and help her out...
> 
> Can he do so?
> 
> CW and TW: Ruby has a mental episode that's been building up for a while, and there is some imagery of cats fighting bloody battles ahead. The fight might too fast or too slow so I just want to give a heads up.

_‘Do you ever really think about the grains?  
_ _Every little one’s got a million things_ _  
__Every little bit’s got a billion bits_ _  
__And that ain’t it, no that ain’t it_ _  
__And did you know that when you really get close_ _  
__Nothing really touches, bro, just kind of floats?’_

_\- Infinitesimal (Mother Mother)_

**~~Chapter 7~~**

Ruby had found out that the so-called Mousefur was right about all the things she mentioned, particularly the part about being watched literally ALL THE TIME.

It seemed to be by nearly everyone.

No, literally… she could feel all these eyes trained on her with distrust.

And it was really quite disconcerting to say the least.

It was soon after the rules were explained to her that Ruby found herself being nosed towards what looked like a hollow log; it was most-likely the prisoners den she heard about if the nonchalant reactions to seeing her heading there were any indication.

‘That she-cat _did_ say I would be set up here while I stay in this place, so I guess this isn’t a surprise.’

Ruby thought wearily as she stumbled and heaved her way there. She was clearly still so out of shape, and the vast hunger and exhaustion that raged inside her felt as vast and physical as the distance she’d taken that led to the new surroundings around her.

She so needed to rest again, and soon. But first of all, she had the task of setting up her bedding that consisted of moss it seemed. Whatever there was to sleep on in the prisoner’s den looked… uncomfortable to say the least.

It was dry and dusty, and clearly not used for a long time judging by the sight in the gloom.

_Gross._

Ruby hoped that this problem would be fixed soon, and that she wouldn’t need to be kept in this hole for longer than was necessary. After all, how long would it truly take for this group of cats to trust her? If they truly were different from Twolegplace’s BloodClan, would their initial hostility disappear after a certain amount of time had passed? After all, some grudges did extend forever as she had learnt.

And that cat Firestar… What was it about his appearance that seemed so familiar?

Ruby would give anything to find out…

If only she wasn’t so bone-achingly tired.

As the grey she-cat lifted a paw to step forwards, her legs shuddered for what felt like the hundredth time in the past few days and her body collapsed into darkness.

_Here I go again…_

Ruby gave into the relief that the nothingness brought her, hoping this time for the awakening to be pleasant. What she failed to notice was a certain smoky-grey medicine-cat limping briskly towards her fallen body again, ready to haul her the rest of the way for the treatment she desperately needed.

**~~~~~~~~Firestar’s POV~~~~~~~~**

It was the afternoon just a few days after Ruby had arrived, and although the rogue’s presence had been explained fully to the Clan, the grey she-cat was still causing dissent and uncertain mutterings around the hollow of ThunderClan’s camp. Especially once she collapsed again in the middle of the camp.

“She’s very clearly been starving and is still very weak with exhaustion, Firestar.”

Cinderpelt was explaining as she wrapped a leaf around a bundle of berries and herbs with a deft and practiced paw in the camp’s clearing.

“That was the first thing I noticed when she arrived here. She’s also plainly had some bad experiences with a large group of cats. Her behaviour says so. Any perceptive cat would see that, and she wasn’t even given a moment’s peace from when she woke up in the medicine den! She’s hardly had a moment of rest at all.”

Firestar winced at the outburst. He knew he wasn’t the most observant cat at times but even so…

“I probably should have considered that. But the rest of the Clan needed a reason for why I brought her here… as well as getting an idea of what we are up against. She’s already been here for a few days after all. The Clan needed a proper explanation!”

Cinderpelt snorted at this, reminding him ever so insistently of her former mentor Yellowfang.

“Oh, so you’re saying I couldn’t have checked over her first while you made your announcements, or kept her in there? She still has all the cobwebs and poultices I applied on her.”

The smoky-furred she-cat’s voice was dry and exasperated as she flicked her tail towards the direction of the medicine den, emphasizing her point. Firestar’s ears burned at his momentary loss of mind.

“I should have thought of that.”

“It might have been wise.”

The flame-coloured tom rose to his paws as a way to end the undermining conversation.

“Should I go and check on her, on Ruby?”

His Clan’s medicine-cat watched him with an exasperated sigh over her leader’s oversight.

“You can if you want but I’d say she needs rest. She seems very worn out and needs to heal from whatever ordeal she’s been through, the poor thing. There’s also the matter of a few good meals that she’s missed out on. That needs to be sorted out, and sooner rather than later.”

Here Cinderpelt shook her head from what she could see of the state of the prisoner den’s ‘nest’, but went on.

“Another issue to consider is any other hidden scratches and wounds she may have that I haven’t found yet… if there are some; they could very well be infected. I need to check on that… Also she needs peace and quiet so don’t be long!”

Her whiskers twitched slightly at the end of her sentence as the ginger tom acknowledged her words with the dip of his head.

_What are you now, my mother?_

Firestar thought indignantly and not without a hint of amusement as he headed to the leafy den that of his destination. Cinderpelt was the same as always. It almost never failed to comfort him on some occasions, and then on others he just felt bad when he recalled why she was in that position in the first place.

But she was good at her job. And a very experienced medicine-cat. As expected from Yellowfang’s wisdom of course.

_Yellowfang…_

If the old crotchety she-cat were still around now, what would she say? What advice would the wise old medicine-cat give in these unknown times? These questions he asked himself most days, with no easy answer to give. Firestar’s musings were not to be however, as he neared the place he was heading, and picked up the sound of a tail swishing on hard-packed ground.

_She’s awake already?_

‘No… wait… or is it…?’

Firestar paused at the entrance of the prisoner’s den and pricked his ears with a feeling of uncertainty. It seemed his thought process was correct in this instance.

The Clans unexpected visitor/guest/prisoner was caught in the throes of a nightmare, if her thrashings were anything to go by; the whimpering that escaped her sleeping form made Firestar wince. What sort of dreams would evoke such terror? What had Ruby been through? He was intrigued he had to admit. He had always likened the bloody vision he had first received at his leader ceremony as some kind of nightmare, as well as other particularly dark prophecies given to him in the past.

_Lion and Tiger will meet in battle, and Blood will rule the forest…_

He shook his head at the memories. No use in dwelling on that now during the present. Instead the flame-coloured tom stepped forward, intending to do something to help. It depended on what he could do to help though…

_I don’t really have any experience with this!_

Sure he had nightmares himself in the past or knew other cats that did but he never knew how to cope with it. Unless… no he shouldn't wake Ruby up, she needed the rest! He shook his head; why was he so indecisive? He was Clan leader for StarClan’s sake!

_Just goes to show that that I’m really lacking in some qualities._

He had brought other cats to the clan before, like Mistyfoot and Cloudtail amongst others. This felt slightly different though somehow, and not just because she was a rogue. He was feeling uncertain about this but also like he should know Ruby somehow, as if she was part of something bigger he had yet to know of. Almost as if she were…

_A relation to himself somehow?_

Anyways he didn’t really know and this was making his head hurt, but he would try and make her transition into Clan life a bit easier if he could. With that said, he finally found his voice.

“Er… R-Ruby? Ruby!

He nudged and prodded the sleeping she-cat with sheathed paws, careful not to accidentally jab her as he knew from experience how painful waking up from that was. No thanks to Tigerstar and Darkstripe of course.

“Hwmmmgh.”

Ruby groaned harshly and muttered indiscernibly as her mind reluctantly crept closer to consciousness, the aching in her body becoming more pronounced again. The sound was painful to hear and, with a wince, Firestar felt sorry for the short respite she had been given. There was no way around it though. The nightmare would just keep her from having the restful recovery Cinderpelt said Ruby needed.

What the grey cat needed was some proper healing sleep brought on by poppy seeds, not this tormented sleep brought on by natural means. Speaking of which, she was becoming more awake now as she shook off the terrors of her resting form; her scrunched-up eyes fluttering ever more persistently in the wake of the disturbance that refused to leave her. Finally, and with one final prod, Firestar was able to witness the poorly she-cat awaken from the clutches of her restless sleep. She yawned and looked, for the lack of a better word, as haggard as Firestar expected.

“You’re up now – that’s a relief, after all you can’t expect to recover from any ordeals by way of dreams. Especially if they keep you from really feeling rested.”

Firestar felt the need to point this out to her, though judging by the bleary confused look she wore, it probably didn’t have the effect it was meant to give.

“…What would you know about nightmares and ordeals anyway? I doubt you’ve had any experiences like mine…”

Ruby ended up muttering down at the ground as she averted her gaze away from the ginger tom who had pulled her out of a pretty horrible memory, and shivered as her mind recalled past events that felt like they were just moments ago.

_“Run, Ruby! I’ll hold them off; you need to take that fishbone with you – it’s yours!”_

_Socks growled and spat at the many-looking rogues in the alleyway, the rogues that happened to be wearing tooth-studded collars. Both of them had been trying to defend this place for a bit now, as it had been the only source of food they’d found in a while._

_“B-but you need it more than me, Socks! You look so thin a-and…”_

_The black-and-white tom interrupted her with a desperate gleam in his dull green eyes._

_“Just take it! Please! It doesn’t matter about me, I’ll beat these garbage-brains up and it’ll all be fine.”_

_Ruby swallowed with fear churning chaotically in her belly, akin to the thudding of pawsteps on ice. Her own legs seemed to be frozen and she couldn’t muster up the courage or energy to do as Socks said._

_‘He surely doesn’t have the strength to take on all of those cats!’_

_Ruby realised this with horror as time seemed to slow down the moment those bone-collared rogues sprang on her brother, along with the agonizing sound of pain tearing its way out of Sock’s throat._

_“Mrowwwgh!” The screech jarred her, pressing against her ears and her throat with its volume. Ruby’s eyes were welling up at the terrible noise that seemed to go on and on and on…_

_‘N-no!!’_

_With a trembled and wobbly hiss, she lunged forward herself to join the fight, very aware of just how skinny her ribs felt as they jutted out of her thin and fraying pelt. They most likely would not win this from the amount of rogues’ claws clashing against her brother’s, but that wouldn’t stop her from doing her best to lesson the blows that he received. They both needed each other to survive!_

_“Come to die with your friend here, have you?” The silky mew of one of the BloodClan rogues (a brown tom with clumpy spiked belly fur) asked her menacingly as he whipped his head around to face hers in the midst of beating up her littermate. Another hiss of pain came from the direction of his paws as he tore a long ragged scar over the black-and-white tom’s flank, spraying a line of blood from the wounded area._

_Ruby cried with despair._

_“Stop it, just stop it please!”_

_The rogue smirked darkly at her in response._

_“With pleasure.”_

_He attacked her and scratched along her sides with no loss in energy, eliciting a yowl of fear and pain from Ruby herself._

_“We need to get out of here…”_

_The weak suggestion was whispered from where Socks was situated during the battle, and while Ruby couldn’t see him, she could just imagine how he looked from being stuck between the group of collared cats that had torn into him from nearby._

_She had hardly heard him herself but fortunately the wind was still on such a cool night. With a hissed “yes” in reply, Socks ducked and pushed out from within the cluster of hostile opponents with a heavy butt of his head. The BloodClanners were too surprised at the sudden action to do anything in time._

_So Ruby and Socks got away._

_And that was the beginning of the end, for the tom’s wounds were great and the infection a factor they did not realise, not until it was too late._

_In the end, it was hunger combined with those other elements, which finally made Socks succumb to Death._

Ruby wanted to sob again for what felt like the hundredth time since her brother had died.

Firestar noticed the she-cat’s frozen state, lost as she was in her miserable memories. He knew he had to snap her out of it somehow, although the process of how was one he hadn’t thought of yet.

_What has one such as her experienced? To react in this way to another cat speaking is not normal…_

He cleared his throat and tapped his tail against her side in order to prompt her back into a relatively normalish state. It seemed to do its job, as Ruby startled back into focusing on what was around her with a reddening under her fur. She was really out of it, she thought to herself with a sigh.

“I have experienced nightmares myself, you know.”

He replied to her calmly, finally answering her previous question in sorts in response to her brief moment of speaking.

Ruby didn’t pay any attention to his agitated, and twitching tail as it flicked about in unease. Instead her mind paid attention to what the ginger tom said, the processing a bit more sluggish than usual after being brought out of one of her many flashbacks that continued to plague her.

“But none like mine… right?”

The she-cat’s whisper was hardly there, so quiet in its presence that Firestar had to strain his ears to pick it up.

He had to think for a moment.

_Had he ever reacted to a nightmare in the way that Ruby had, or similar? In a way that left one unable to sleep in fear of experiencing something they’d rather not?_

He closed his eyes as he mused over the question, and realised that no, he had not been through anything quite like that; even though his 9 lives ceremony had been interrupted by that alarming message that sent chills through his blood and if even Cinderpelt had been somewhat aware by the unexpected warning of The Darkest Hour that approached, that moment hadn’t quite affected his whole being like Ruby’s memories had.

She must have experienced trials in life that may have indeed exceeded his own. For this, he could give no clear answer to her question.

After that pause (that stretched on entirely too long) Firestar snapped out of his musing and glanced over at the skinny grey cat across from him, not entirely surprised to see her avoiding his gaze. He hadn’t been able to give her a direct answer in order to help her after all.

It was then a shock to hear her go on about what her dreams were actually about. And what she said certainly sounded as horrible as it must have been.

“Every time I sleep… whenever I close my eyes for only a moment… I see him. My brother Socks, I mean. Each night he falls in front of me again, and again, and there is nothing I can do to do, to stop it from happening. He always did see himself as my protector.”

“…But in truth… I was nothing else but his downfall, and… He should be blaming me! Why is he so kind? He shouldn’t be kind! He…!”

Ruby wailed at the end of her explanation, her eyes once again welling up with the tears that had first started on the day that brought the beginning of The End. It had never truly stopped.

The Blame.

The Regrets.

The Misery.

They had never left her during all this time, from the day Socks had taken the wound for her, and for the day he had made her that promise that she now wished hadn’t come to be.

_It’s all my fault, all my fault, all my fault…_

_The blame, the blame, the endless blame that tore her up inside…_

Now Ruby was having another issue entirely, one that made her feel breathless and blind. Sure she had finally gotten what was eating her up inside off her chest, but that still wasn’t enough to help with all that she suffered. Now there was another issue festering that Firestar hadn’t experienced seeing before and he didn’t know what to do. He panicked a bit when the she-cat’s breathing got shallower and faster and…!

Ruby felt herself sinking into a darkness that wasn’t sleep or a nightmare so she must be awake! But she couldn’t breathe or see or hear?

_I can’t breathe, can’t breathe, can’t see, can’t move!_

_I can’t move… n-no!!_

_Everythings dark and gone…_

_H-helphelphelphelp!_

_Can’tdothiscan’t do thiscan’t…_

“For StarClan’s sake Firestar we need to calm her down, she’s having a panic attack!”

Cinderpelt’s urgent yowl brought Firestar back to his own senses as he watched Ruby who seemed to be frozen and yet sort of thrashing at the same time. He was horrified and clearly unadept for these events of sorts.

Thank goodness that Cinderpelt had come back in to check on things. He felt a sense of relief and gratefulness that the medicine-cat was there. Hopefully she would be able to fix up what was ailing this poor she-cat whose life had been broken into so many pieces from what it had used to be before. He would need to apologise to Ruby later for dredging up the past that had imprisoned her mind to its fragile clutches. It obviously still held her captive and would need to be dealt with in a calming and considerate manner, lest she never recover from its poisonous tongue. That would probably be the best start to help her on the path of recovery.

Firestar sat down in a corner of the den and stared into space as he considered various things that had cluttered up his mind, giving the medicine-cat uninterrupted space to work while Ruby was being tended to by Cinderpelt. As he did so, an important realization came over the young leader, one he hadn’t really considered up until now. It was one that made his eyes widen and he berated himself for this oversight.

Not all scars came from a life spent by fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I've gotta be truthful here... So to be honest this chapter actually took me ages to write out as I originally only had a FanFiction.net account before I got an AO3 account here, and I hadn't updated this story on FF.net for ages (like not since last year!) so this chapter has actually been a long time coming and I felt bad about not having motivation for it and other things when I looked at it on FF.net... 
> 
> So I'm trying to fix that here, and I've finally also posted this chapter to FF.net as well! 
> 
> I'm really glad that posting this story on here finally got me the inpsiration to work on this fanfiction properly again :) 
> 
> It also makes me happy to see that there's an audience of readers who are enjoying this story of Ruby's adventures as well! I'll keep doing my best to write out chapters for here and not leave it as long as I did before on FF.net...
> 
> Thank you all!
> 
> Disclaimer: No I do not own Warriors, but if I did, the newer-released books would probably make a bit more sense… (like what is up with the differing timelines and character personalities they have now in novellas and some main series books uhh)
> 
> Although I have heard that the newest series currently out is quite good…?


	9. Moving on to better things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is talk of how to deal and help with Ruby's scattered thoughts - of how to tie them together again, to help her heal from her scarring past. There is also moving on to better things! like the first step to being introduced to clan life after your first few hours there were interrupted by other stuff beyond your control...
> 
> And the antics of Rainpaw.
> 
> Enjoy!

_‘_ _Truth be told_ _  
__I've been there, I've done this all before_ _  
__I take your gloom_ _  
__I curl it up and puff it into plumes_ _’_

_\- Gooey (Glass Animals)_

**~~Chapter 8~~**

The hours trickled by like a downhill stream.

Ruby watched Cinderpelt with hazy, unfocused eyes in silence as the smoky she-cat tended to her reopened scratches and clouded mind, feeling as though she was separate from herself, trapped beneath a pool of thick and choking honey. The air itself hurt her to breath and the tang of some herb lingered in her mouth, even after it was swallowed.

She tried to heave in great lungfuls of air, to try and slow down and breath in the way that Cinderpelt instructed her to do; it was in order to calm down from the fit she had seemed to find herself in earlier.

At least… that was what Cinderpelt had told her anyhow. Ruby didn’t quite understand it. Even in those last few days before she came to ThunderClan when even the notion of looking for food had become the hardest and most impossible thing for one to do, and even when she didn’t know how to help save Socks from the infection that ate him up from the inside, there had never been a time when she completely lost herself in a drowning of thoughts and just _everything_ going on all at once.

Even the air she took for granted as a necessity of life hadn’t been reliable enough; Ruby had gasped, choked, and strained to get it into her body as her mind went down, down, all submerged underneath that chaotic wave of despair and panic that rose over her head like a cat trying to keep afloat in a flood. This was terrifying, and new.

_That has never happened to me before…_

Her claws stung with a faint ache that seemed to get stronger, more _real_ , the longer that she sat there hunched over, gradually coming back into proper consciousness after _those_ moments prior. In response to this, Ruby finally looked down at her paws with a dim awareness of her surroundings.

She noted the surprisingly deep furrows in the hard packed floor, as well as the torn and broken claws that had made them without her knowing. The faint _whys_ and _hows_ rose to her mouth at the speed of a sluggish turtle but were ultimately batted aside when Cinderpelt seemed to pick up on what Ruby wanted to ask without her actually needing to say it.

“You strained them quite agitatedly when you dug your claws into the ground during your panic attack, Ruby. Now, I can’t claim to know the circumstances you’ve been through to elicit such a reaction while just speaking to others, nor the memories that might have been brought up. But I can tell you this – letting your claws unsheathe while in a state like that can be an extremely reckless and dangerous thing to do! It especially has the potential to leave further wounds than there are right now, whether it be you or others around you getting involved. We will need to find a way to prevent that from occurring in case this or something similar happens again. Honestly, you got lucky this time, as it was the first if I’m guessing correctly?” The medicine-cat looked at her with a stern blue gaze.

Ruby dipped her head in shame, finding herself scared of the words Cinderpelt had given her about this ‘panic attack’. She lapped at a wad of dripping moss placed between her paws. The name of the fit she had experienced did seem apt, especially when Ruby considered what had been explained to her about it. By unknowingly attacking herself and having her mind feel as if a stronger force was crushing it, the entity being named ‘panic attack’ sounded like a suitable title for such an occurrence. It was a self-attack that targeted her personally.

But why it had only just started now when everything was at its hardest, was a complete mystery to her. This wasn’t going to help Ruby in the slightest, especially with recovering from the past and getting her life on the right path, as Socks had wanted her to do. As Ruby looked hesitantly up at her from where her eyes were trained on the damaged ground, Cinderpelt’s own eyes softened as they met Ruby’s sympathetically.

“Do not worry about this for now. I’m sure you, Firestar, and I can work out a solution to overcome it, or at least a way to deal with these issues as they pop up. As this is the first one, there may be more. We’ll see what else we can do when the time comes. My sister has had the same attacks as well, so I know some general ways to help in coping with it.”

The medicine-cat was silent then for a bit, thinking over various things she’d learnt about these sorts of events no doubt. Ruby wondered how many of these panic attacks Cinderpelt’s sister had herself. Based on how this first one had been, Ruby would never want to condemn that mental fit of sorts on any cat. It was a miserable and frankly terrifying thing to go through, especially when it was only through oneself.

Anyone watching it happen with no clue on what it actually was, could only imagine what was really involved in it, and they would be scared and not know what to do about it. They’d most-likely panic themselves and not help any matters.

Similar to how Firestar reacted.

Ruby really couldn't find it in herself to blame him though. It was his first time looking into the void of the unknown and being overwhelmed with the uncertainty of how to respond in an expected method.

Firestar had never been on the forefront of a panic attack, and so there was no way of knowing how to help. That was all it came down to. It was just lucky that Cinderpelt had some foresight on this matter, even if it was only because of a sibling’s experience with it. So Ruby should have felt pleased with facing this solution to be given to her problems.

Yet she couldn’t bring herself to for some reason. How long would this keep going on? How often would this be happening to her!? There were most likely no clear-cut answers to questions like those, and it would only make the anxiety that constantly swirled within her rise even higher.

_Damn all of this! …It’s so…much…to take in…_

Hmm… if she was able to have all these various thoughts now without her mind shutting down, it could only mean that she was feeling a bit closer to being back to normal again.

_Normal…? Huh! As if…_

The juices from the medicine made her wounds sting as they made contact. The sensation could only be made as pronounced as it were now due to ruby’s mind clearing just enough to process this. This also didn’t go unnoticed by a certain other cat just hiding away in the den himself, his emerald-green gaze flicking to Ruby’s form every few moments or so. Only when he spoke did Ruby then startle in surprise.

She wasn’t expecting Firestar to be sitting around in here with her at all!

“I’m glad you’re feeling okay now, Ruby. I really must apologise about before… Your actions just gave me quite a scare and I honestly didn’t really know what to do about it…”

The ginger tom’s mew held a sincere and guilty tone to it that Ruby couldn’t help but accept. He was a genuinely good cat and Ruby didn’t find it too hard to believe that anyone would feel safe in placing his or her trust in this tom’s paws. He was probably that kind of capable cat that was likely to be sought after anywhere he went. Those kinds of cats were incredibly rare, and of course Ruby would know.

To her… Socks had been that kind of cat. And if he weren’t here anymore, then maybe Firestar could be that cat instead. To have someone willing to protect and help you was something quite valuable to have indeed.

And if anyone here in this Clan of wild cats had the potential to do so, it would most likely be the leader of them all, Firestar.

Far from the thought scaring Ruby like it would have before, the idea of Firestar helping her settle here now felt comforting to her, in a way that she hadn’t let herself feel for a long time now.

It was time to try and adapt to this new way of life that she found herself in, and to get to know the ins and outs of how this concept of Clans worked, in contrast to what Ruby had learnt of BloodClan’s.

For the first time since arriving here those past days ago (though it felt more like moons), Ruby turned her head slowly to face him properly, mindful of the stiff muscles in her neck from when her body locked itself before. And she spoke out loud clearly and coherently for the first time since her brother’s death. Without any grief to clutter up her mind (for the moment).

“It’s… all right. You… weren’t to blame for what I’ve been through. I guess I just needed to tell someone what happened. It… it’s been weighing down on me for a little while now, to be truthful.”

She’d said her piece and let her tail drop down to the den’s ground.

She watched the flame-orange leader nod approvingly at her vocal acceptance to his words and felt the buzz in her ears at the silence that followed it. Was it awkward or comfortable? Or was it a tension that could only rise the longer she stayed in this den? Ruby didn’t know.

She was about to open her mouth and try saying something else (of what, she wasn’t sure) but that was when something different and welcome was dropped to the entrance of the den.

It was a rather fat, and medium sized shrew.

And a small pale grey tabby had brought it with him, for some reason or other.

Ruby decided she wasn’t going to question it at all. Not just because it was her only food in who knows how long!

“If the visitor is going to stay with us for a while, I wondered if they might want some prey? You look pretty hungry!”

The tabby tom (who looked a little more than a kitten) looked up at her with wide and curious eyes as he chattered bravely on, pushing the rodent closer to Ruby as he did so.

Firestar looked as though he wasn’t sure what to say here. He just kept watching the younger tom with an incredulous face as any caution of Ruby’s presence flew away in the air in the face of the energetic tom.

The last straw was when the tabby got the prey close enough for Ruby to easily eat, and then he proceeded to bounce back and forth on his paws introducing himself, asking who she was, what she was doing here, and whatever else one thinks of when they have too much energy and time on their paws. This was to the amusement of Cinderpelt and the exasperation of Firestar, of course.

“Hi! how are you? Who are you? I’m Rainpaw and I was only made an apprentice 4 sunrises ago! Did you know that? Or maybe you wouldn’t as you’re new here I think… at least I mean I haven’t seen you around camp before! You look super skinny – doesn’t anyone bring you enough food? I can do that! I am responsible and can do anything and…!”

“For StarClan’s sake Rainpaw, leave this poor cat alone! She’s had a really tough time and needs to recover and help get settled in the Clan. I’m sure she doesn’t need a young cat chatting her ear off before before her proper introduction to Clan life!”

Cinderpelt chided the apprentice sternly but with warmth in her mew. She didn’t want to get angry at the young cat’s unsubtle interest in something new, for it was a positive event rather than those harsh moons before when BloodClan was the big issue. Compared to those times, these days were considered relatively peaceful, even when you considered an unexpected factor like Ruby being taken into the camp while you’re out walking one day. Stranger things could happen.

Ruby’s stomach inadvertently grumbled and Rainpaw grinned despite the scolding he was given.

“You should eat it! Your stomach sounds like it wants the shrew too!”

A sigh.

“I would’ve sworn that this was more in line with Sorrelpaw’s behaviour than yours, Rainpaw. Has she been involved in any of this?”

“Um… Maybe!”

As Cinderpelt and Rainpaw conversed, Ruby slowly leaned down and took her first ever bite of this… shrew? She wasn’t sure how her hollow belly would deal with the new flavour of this kind of food but there wasn’t any harm in trying as long as it could finally lay her aching hunger to rest. Firestar watched her from where he was sitting, curious to know what she thought of the forest’s prey.

It was certainly new in regards to taste. It certainly carried on it the flavours of the forest in which it dwelled.

And as her sated mind and stomach felt like making her weep in relief, Ruby could certainly give to this experience the response that those cats were surely aiming for.

It was definitely worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's give a proper welcome to Ruby's time in ThunderClan! (After a long build up to it)
> 
> Yay :3
> 
> *clap clap*


	10. Walking the steps towards Clan Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby gets to know some members of the Clan after her various woes right at the beginning of this new life. They seem to be okay... at least she thinks so? Then again... What is really involved in the life of this so-called Clan?

_‘I just wanna play my part_  
_Should I make waves or not?_  
_So back and forth in my brain the tug of war wages on’_

_\- Guts Over Fear (Eminem)_

**~~Chapter 9~~**

Each and every sunrise that followed after Ruby’s awakening was… strangely uneventful to say the least. After her scare with that panic attack that overwhelmed her, Ruby had taken the advice that Cinderpelt had given her and tried practicing the exercises that the smoky-grey she-cat prescribed to help the swirling thoughts that messed with her mind.

Every day Ruby would lay in what was essentially the Clan’s prisoner den, doing what was called meditating (keeping her mind as empty as it could be or trying to), building up her strength with NewLeaf's emerging prey, and getting any wounds and general health seen to by an attentive healer or ‘medicine-cat’ as it was called. At some points during that time the grey she-cat would be escorted to a place nearby to make dirt and also receive the opportunity to gather moss for the den, or for drinking. Other times it was a younger cat’s job – an apprentice as they were so named, that was sent to her as the result of something they had done wrong (or most likely by the sound of things.)

Ruby didn’t care for the details of the rants the cats seemed to make – they were here to make life a bit more comfortable, so who was she to judge? One of those cats, Rainpaw (as he was called), seemed to be the most vocal about this punishment he had received.

“Cloudtail can be so mean… It’s not fair! It's not my fault that I can't wake up on time for training - Sorrelpaw fidgets and kicks in her sleep all night! I know you’re alright, so why do I have to be stuck here looking after you?”

He would exclaim and promptly push bits of old moss into a pile to make way for the new lot.

All he got in return was a tired yet level look, which for some insane reason seemed to calm him down.

Surprisingly Rainpaw would end up being a regular visitor and someone she could consider to be a friend, though he’d never confirm to that assumption himself. Still, Ruby could somehow always tell that the young tabby with kitten fluff really did enjoy having another cat to regularly talk to; she could understand that feeling herself very well. 

So Ruby could now safely say that she had her first friend of sorts here. Well maybe? Eh she wouldn't think too much about it. Who knew how long she would actually be staying here after all?

She felt as if she were a drifting soul, never knowing whether she belonged in one place or the other.

Another regular occurrence turned out to be the other cats in the Clan fixing Ruby with a wary or suspicious look every so often (whenever they saw her around the camp). It was when they thought she wasn’t looking, of course. She did tend to keep to herself near the entrance of the prisoner's den after all.

It was enough to make Ruby feel irritated with the amount of negative attention induced on her.

_I’m just a cat like you!_ She wanted to yowl. _I’m not going to do anything!_

Not like she could anything anyway with the eyes of all the Clan on her, even if she wanted to. This probably happened to any prisoner of the camp depending on how many they hosted in the past.

_Which probably wasn’t many, come to think about it. Aargh say something to draw their attention away!_

“Er… so what am I meant to be doing here exactly?”

_What a way to start a conversation…_

The strange thing was that it sort of… worked?

A bunch of cats cleared off to go somewhere and only a couple were left sitting near Ruby and her den, to her immense relief. The remainders looked slightly uncomfortable and not the friendliest, but they hesitantly answered her impromptu questioning. Meanwhile her appointed guard sat off to the side and didn't seem to do anything in the way of interceding at all.

“Just sit around and get accustomed to the camp life is what Firestar intended I think…”

A pale tabby she-cat frowned and directed her yellowy-green eyes up and over Ruby’s head, as if to avoid looking at her directly.

Her striped tail twitched uneasily.

A ginger-and-black tabby tom sitting next to the she-cat scoffed and held Ruby’s eyes in a confrontational manner, protectively curling his tail over the other tabby’s flank. 

“Don’t get the wrong idea, rogue. You aren’t a welcome member of our Clan, and we are not going to be telling you all our secrets and giving you advice!” 

_Well that is just plain rude._

The other she-cat’s eyes narrowed slightly and she looked angry.

“Lynxfang! No need to be so fox-brained! Firestar helped this cat especially, and if he thinks she can be an addition to the Clan, she’ll need some guidance during her time here!”

The lectured tom huffed and looked away stubbornly. The tabby she-cat sighed at this and gazed at Ruby briefly before staring off into the distance again.

“I’m sorry about him. Lynxfang is pretty cautious and hardheaded to get along with. He isn’t so trusting of others unless they’ve earned it. If Firestar is willing to trust you, then I guess it is how it is. We don’t usually give sanctuary to outsiders, you see.” 

Ruby nodded as the tabby she-cat spoke for she understood those sentiments very well. She hadn’t been so trusting of others after those moons of starvation when her and Socks’s own Twolegs abandoned them.

It didn’t help when Scourge chased them away either.

Trust was difficult to dredge up after experiences like those; it planted in one's head the idea that you never knew who would let you down when it counted the most. 

The wild was an unwelcoming and cruel place; she had learnt this after many bad experiences. Because of this, it was certainly hard to learn to trust again.

But then again... Maybe an environment like this would help her?

She would just need to work her way from the bottom, no matter how long it took; Ruby would start with getting acquainted with this cat, seeing as she hadn’t been a bad conversationalist so far… as far as she knew anyway.

The grey she-cat curled her tail over her paws and fixed the pale tabby with an inquisitive look that they hopefully didn't find too intrusive. There was this one question burning on the tip of her tongue that she couldn't help but ask.

“Why are all your names so weird? I’ve been wondering that for a while to be honest.”

Here the distinctive black-and-ginger tabby tom cut in again, rather rudely according to Ruby’s opinion. His answer was really not that helpful either.

“Our names? What about yours!? Ruby is a pretty strange name when you stop and think about it. Seriously, what even does it mean?”

All the while the pale tabby she-cat glared at him with narrowed eyes.

“Lynxfang! What do you think you're doing!?”

Ruby wanted to yowl in frustration. Why all the fighting? These Clans seemed to be home to a bunch of mousebrains and argumentative fools. She ended up blurting out her thoughts before really considering them.

“You mean your names actually have some sense to them?”

“Of course! Our names actually mean something, unlike your crazy Twoleg-given names. Honestly… Only StarClan knows why you let those creatures take care of you and give you names. Probably to indulge their own whims I suppose.”

“Just stop talking, Lynxfang! Can’t you see you’re upsetting her?”

“So? Who cares what the rogue feels! She’s probably in cahoots with those BloodClan scum! Who knows what they’re up to…”

The tabby she-cat rolled her eyes for what seemed like the 5th time, clearly fed up with the way this chat was going.

“Oh you just be quiet now! Please ignore this mousebrain… he’s usually not so mean. Have I told you my name yet? I’m Mistlestem.”

Ruby nodded to the influx of conversation going on around her. It was pretty overwhelming but she’d do her best to go along with it. It upset her to listen to the rude tom’s opinion on Twolegs though. She had a good home before she and Socks had been abandoned by their housefolk unexpectedly one afternoon. It still mystified her why that had occurred without any warning. There was never any lead-up to it, and no explanation for why it had occurred. She still dwelled on it occasionally on days when she felt the loneliest.

“I’m Ruby,” She offered quietly.

Lynxfang opened his mouth to probably say something degrading about her name but Mistlestem’s voice rose over whatever he might have said.

“That’s an interesting name. Does it have any particular meaning that you know of?”

The Clan cat looked a bit friendlier now as she got to know Ruby, and even started to glance directly towards Ruby more often, while Lynxfang still wore an expression of scepticism as if still wary of trusting her.

“I think I heard my mother once say that it was some sort of Twoleg stone or item? I’m not too sure… but I think it has something to do with my eye colour?”

Ruby ventured on what she could only speculate. The objects that Twolegs placed importance in could be so confusing to dwell on, she found.

Her audience exchanged looks with each other, uncertainty clear as day in their own respective gazes.

“Well… I guess Twolegs do have some semblance of meaning in their name choices after all.”

Ruby felt a prickle of impatience rise within her as she repeated her own question from earlier once again.

“And what about your names and their meanings?”

Now an answer would finally be given to her.

“It’s all to do with what can be found within our actions, appearance, and surroundings. The warrior code is a set of rules that guides us and teaches us the ways of being a warrior, as well as what leads us on the other paths of a clan cat. This is something you would learn and follow if you wish to stay with us.”

Firestar’s mew joined their conversation in an abrupt way that startled the unsuspecting Ruby. The two new acquaintances bowed their heads with the arrival of the clan leader. Mistlestem then raised her head first and looked the leader confidently in the eye before asking something that Ruby was now curious herself.

“Hi Firestar. Did you want something?”

Ruby wondered if Clan life was always this hectic.

The flame-ginger tom acknowledged the two warriors with a dip of his head.

“Not really, I just wanted to see how our new guest is settling into Clan life. Getting to know the other Clan members here is the first step on the path of recovery after all."

Here, Firestar smiled and gestured approvingly at her choice of companions.

"Between you and me, I reckon you can learn quite a lot of useful tips from these two hard-workers here." 

Lynxfang looked incredulous and surprisingly abashed at that statement that was aimed towards him and Mistlestem. Ruby noted that it was a nice change from the standoffish behaviour he had displayed earlier. It suited him more.

He shrugged his broad shoulders before responding. "T-Thanks Firestar. Everyone works hard here though, not just us."

Firestar nodded at the response given, pleased at the lack of arrogance in the ginger tabby's tone. 

"That is true. If we all do our bit then every task is done efficiently and with seamless energy. That's what participating in Clan life is about."

He sounded so sure of himself; it was as if this way of thinking was woven into his beliefs, strongly and integrated in a way that just made sense to follow. Ruby could learn to admire and follow the same set of ideals - if she chose to.

For now though, she would sit here and listen to the chatter of the Clan as they moved about their day, as well as learn more about what each cat did in the role they took on.

It seemed like an interesting use of time, and a way to ease into the lifestyle that well-suited all the members of ThunderClan that were already settled here. Maybe Ruby would find her purpose too, the longer that she stuck around within the camp's boundaries. She could only hope so.

"And not everyone spends their time fighting and training in the ways of a warrior - you could probably find something that suits you that doesn't involve those things, in the way that Cinderpelt heals and Fernsong helps keep the nursery in order for any possible expecting queens."

Okay that certainly took Ruby by surprise. 

"Y-you mean there's more to being a part of the Clan life than all that guarding and hunting and violence I hear about?"

Quince's words from long ago trickled into the back of her mind along with other forgotten memories. _'They face all kinds of monsters and terrible beasts.'_

Although Ruby had made fun of her smallest brother's fear at the time, she truly did not want to come face-to-face with any of the monsters in the forest that their mother had mentioned either. She had pushed the feeling down at the time though, and had it disguised with the contempt and brusqueness that Socks and her displayed to hide their insecurities. They had to act like the bigger, more confident siblings; they had the idea that Quince had always favoured Tiny more.

It had come back to bite them in the end hadn't it? Ruby mused on this.

Meanwhile, Firestar was adamant in his answer to her query.

"Of course there are other ways of contributing to the clan. We just need to find you one that suits you and will help you adjust better to being around the others here. It will help them to accept your presence too, if you are out there helping with a task that is handy to the camp. With persistence and hard work comes a trust that's difficult to lose once it's earned."

Mistlestem was nodding along to what the flame-coloured leader said, obviously agreeing with the words and ideas he put forth. She turned her head towards Lynxfang and nudged him not so subtly to offer a suggestion of his making. 

Lynxfang groaned but acquiesced to his friend's prompting.

"Why don't we show our _guest_ around camp to point out the different landmarks we use? It can only be useful since we don't know how long she's staying here."

Firestar looked pleased at the suggestion, and with the warrior that offered it. 

"Now that's a good idea! Ruby you can go with these two and they'll show you what there is to see and do here, rather than being cooped up in your den all the time."

He gave Ruby's new guides a level look right after saying this.

"Don't forget to introduce her to anyone you think might offer some advice or help her with picking out a clan role."

Mistlestem looked as though she might laugh from the resigned expression on Lynxfang's face. 

"Don't worry Firestar, we'll make sure to do that!" She purred with mirth dancing in her eyes.

And so off they went, showing themselves to the clan as a weird party of cats that were wearing various expressions of hesitance, amusement, and resignation. 

Little did they know that this was an eventual friendship group in the making, and that these expressions would be a constant factor in much of their interactions with the grey former rogue.

Ruby rose her head to hold it high in the air, mimicking the others that strode ahead of her. Maybe it was a way to boost her confidence, or maybe it was a way to make her feel more of a part of this unintentional group she seemed to be forming without her realisation.

Whatever it was, she hoped it would carry her through to higher ground, to the path that she wished to follow of her own volition.

Ruby released a tiny hidden smile out into the open air.

By interacting here with the others, she truly hoped it would grow bigger the longer she stayed there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Looks like we get to learn a bit more about the characters of Lynxfang and Mistlestem :) There's more to them than just being the forgotten kits of ThunderClan that like disappear into the realms of nether sometime during the first series. It is my definite plan to give them bigger roles to help them shine in throughout this fic. Wish me luck!


	11. Learning the ropes when the first threat looms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After we've introduced Ruby to life in ThunderClan and what's involved, a time of relative peace is disturbed as the first threat since the BloodClan battle crashes in onto the Clans that make up the forest territory, and some certain cats make their appearance!
> 
> It seems that BloodClan's time isn't over just yet.

_'You can test the water, you might as well jump in_   
_We all know where we’ll end up, might as well begin_   
_Memories you're making, frame inside in your heart_   
_In the middle of a nowhere is a somewhere you can start'_

_\- Life's What You Make It (Graham Colton)_

**~~Chapter 10~~**

Time marched on and the NewLeaf days gradually inched closer towards GreenLeaf, the days becoming just that little bit longer and warmer as the new season approached.

It would soon be another full moon soon since LionClan was victorious and Ruby would learn another important aspect to Clan life, other than what she had learnt about the half moon's significance that happened some days ago. Firestar mused on this fact with slight surprise. The days seemed to go by quicker than he expected. It seemed that peace brought with it the swiftness that fear and uncertainty lacked. He observed with growing interest (as did Sandstorm) what was currently going on in a relatively clear area of the camp. Others watched too, secretly intrigued despite their initial distrust of the rogue's presence.

Ruby spat out a mouthful of dust as she fell for what seemed like the 100th time since she first attempted to learn the hunting crouch that morning. It was truly frustrating, and the little remarks that Bramblepaw gave her weren't helping matters either.

"...And that's not how you do the hunting crouch... You're leaning too much on your left side there."

_Jeez thanks. Like I didn't already know that..._

The young dark tabby's voice grated on her nerves as he tried to correct her yet again. He padded towards her and pushed her hind legs further apart to better balance her weight on each side. Ruby shifted awkwardly in the position it put her in but did her best to adjust herself to it. This was how it was meant to be, right? It had to be correct...

How many times had he told her this already? It seemed to be an eternal struggle indeed. Ruby and the youngest apprentices were practicing here in a clear section of the camp, so that they could learn the right technique to use for hunting when the time came to demonstrate their skills for the clan. And as the oldest apprentice, Bramblepaw had offered to help them. Ruby honestly didn't know why she agreed to do this when asked. Wasn't her stumbling performance here making it perfectly obvious that she wasn't suited for such a task? 

_You would think so..._

Rainpaw looked at her with an encouraging smile from where his own crouch was taking place. The small grey tabby's pelt was ruffled with clumps of dust and fallen petals from where his own failings had left a mark and yet he still found it within himself to smile at Ruby. It was truly remarkable really.

"Come on Ruby, you can do it! just try again, I've fallen loads of times!"

He sneezed and snuffled as the dust and pollen went into his nose. Sorrelpaw and Sootpaw giggled from nearby at the sight, pushing each other over so that they matched Rainpaw in regards to the mess.

"Now we're all dusty! Yay!!" The small tortoiseshell spat out a squashed petal she inhaled.

Bramblepaw looked so done with all this as he rolled his amber eyes at the silliness in front of him. Didn't he know what he was getting into when he volunteered to do this?

"Does anyone want to learn this or not?" He asked with impatience building up in his mew. 

Ruby just shrugged her shoulders in response. What could she say? The younger apprentices were bored - that much was clear. 

Sorrelpaw then had to put her foot in her mouth when she asked Bramblepaw whether he ever had any fun at all, to the shock of the older tabby.

"Of course I have!" He spluttered and the tips of his ears reddened at the question. 

Sorrelpaw just flicked her tail in reply and bumped his side with a friendly nudge. "Oh of course you have, how silly of me." 

She batted her eyes at him playfully and jumped out of the way when Bramblepaw jabbed a paw at her. Ruby wasn't sure she could take much more of this, whatever this thing was between the two apprentices in front of her. They seemed to know each other very well, if this interaction were any indication. The older apprentice cleared his throat awkwardly as the moment pass and tried to get them all back on track with the impromptu session.

It seemed to only be marginally successful in the fact that Ruby and Sootpaw got back into position, while Sorrelpaw and Rainpaw persisted in swiping sheathed paws at each other like energetic kits. It seemed so peaceful to Ruby, them messing around like this as if nothing was remise. Clan life was starting to grow on here with these little moments and reminders of everyday life going on. It made her start to imagine it wouldn't be hard staying here and helping out the Clan, as well as getting to know the various roles one would learn as a proper member of ThunderClan like Firestar talked about.

So she crouched lower and spread her legs apart in the way that Bramblepaw did, wanting to show that she could learn something that benefitted the camp surrounding her. Judging by the look he gave her, it was finally going somewhere in terms of improvement. He nodded at her in approval.

"That's more like it. Not bad." 

Ruby sat up with a pleased expression and let out a sigh of relief. "Phew! I thought I'd never get it." 

"It does take some longer than others occasionally. It just depends on each cat, don't worry." Bramblepaw told her with a twitch of his ears as he glanced towards the two sparring apprentice siblings. "I just wonder how long it'll take those two to learn it if they're not concentrating so well now..." His mew trailed off into nothingness.

Ruby paused, not knowing what to say to that. He sounded more mature than his age, much older than these other apprentices that were not long from being kits.

Sootpaw called out to him then from where he was trying his own version of the hunting crouch, and it looked to be going in the right direction from what Ruby could see.

"Look Bramblepaw, I'm able to do it too! I bet I'll catch loads of fat mice this way!" He staggered and flopped forward as he leaned too far in front, ears flat in embarrassment. "Oh oops."

Bramblepaw snapped out of his mood and tried to hide a smile at the sight. "Well you might be able to catch them if they're a bit lopsided and sleepy?"

"Nu-uh! I'll catch every kind of mice, just you wait!"

"Sure, sure. As you say." Bramblepaw exchanged an amused glance with Ruby which she tentatively returned.

_Kits will be kits I suppose._

He moved on to the next thing that managed to catch all their attention. "How about you test out what you've learnt for real, and play a catching game here in the camp? Pick out what will be your prey and do your best to pounce on it, in a way that would benefit you for real prey. But keep in mind, only objects around camp will count, so don't try and ambush any warriors or Firestar!"

Ruby and the others eagerly agreed. It might be pretty fun to try out the crouch for an actual purpose, even if it was for some mindless teaching game! It may also benefit them when the chance came to hunt actual creatures out in the forest...

So all the younger apprentices and her spread out, ready to track down the nearest fake prey of their choosing while Bramblepaw counted down the time they had until the game began.

"3, 2, 1... Start hunting!"

They took off, and all the while Ruby made sure she listed in her head all the places she'd learned were in the camp the other day. It was best to arm herself with as much knowledge as possible in a situation like this. She may need the info after all.

Spotting her first target in the corner of her eye, she lowered herself to the ground and sneaked careful steps towards it. She had to be light and as silent as the night itself to make this work.

Ruby got close enough and leapt.

* * *

"...And that new cat Ruby did pretty well! She eventually got the hang of it and executed a perfect hunting pounce on those clump of nettles near the Apprentices' Den. You should have seen it!" Bramblepaw was reporting to his mentor Firestar how the training game had gone, reluctant (but growing) respect and admiration for the Clan's guest gleaming in his eyes. It seemed that Firestar's idea for getting Ruby involved in some social activities had turned out to be a successful endeavor after all!

Firestar purred at the news. "That's great, Bramblepaw! I was thinking that would be the right method to use in order to build up some confidence in her and get some of the clanmates to work alongside her. She seemed like she needed the encouragement in order to pursue and succeed."

He paused for a moment, thinking on any plans he may have had for what to do next. Maybe he should take Bramblepaw out... It would be good to test the young tabby's skills and see how he's coming along, after all he won't be an apprentice for too much longer. It would be good to devote as much time as he can spare into training, as he didn't want any cat to think he neglected his apprentice from his duties as a leader. There was also the issue of bringing Bramblepaw along with him to the MoonStone at some stage as well - every apprentice needed to make the journey before becoming warriors, and Firestar's own would be no exception to this tradition.

He nodded to himself, meeting his apprentice's eyes, and was about to speak when his train of thought was interrupted without warning.

"There are traces of BloodClan scent on the TallCut Pines border!!"

Everyone pricked their ears and froze, as if the air itself had stilled with shock. 

And Ruby could feel the words muffling into silence around her, could feel herself slipping back into the nothingness that the panic-attack brought, along with its breathless clutches.

Too much was happening all over again.

Yet... Something else was also inviting their own presence into the camp with a rustle of the gorse barrier being a clear indication, along with the scent of something familiar. Something so familiar that Firestar tried to pick it up with the use of his scent glands. The answer soon came without preamble, pushing their heads through the leafy tunnel with a sense of ease and urgency.

And there stood Ravenpaw and Barley, with flanks heaving from exertion and a sense of wary caution woven into their coats from whence they came. There was surely news to share, this would prove.

It seemed that the Clan's gradual lull into a time of peace was over far too soon after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I love sending the Clans into unexpected danger. *laughs evilly* >:-)


	12. Battle Plans and Investigations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Firestar doesn't know what BloodClan is doing back here again or why, but that doesn't mean he is going to take their reemerged presence lying down! It's time to plan their downfall once again and find out the reason for their sudden reappearance in the place they were driven out of...
> 
> ThunderClan assemble!
> 
> Also Ravenpaw and Barley are here as well! What does this mean for Ruby, I wonder?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the wait guys! I didn't meant to be sporadic with the updates to this as my intention was to update this at the same time each week and not get writer's block but guess what...
> 
> I GOT WRITER'S BLOCK AFTER ALL.
> 
> That, and I've been working a bunch on some big university assignments that were due just recently as well, so my priorities have been in a different place until this moment...
> 
> I'll try and do my best with this, but I can't guarantee that the updates will come as quickly or frequently until semester ends, unfortunately... I'll try and work hard on the chapters I do post though :)

' _How would you like it if I left you while you were sleeping.'_

\- How Would You Like It? (Lauren Aquilina)

**~~Chapter 11~~**

"There are traces of BloodClan's scent on the TallCut Pines Border!"

The border patrol came streaming in with a frantic hurry in their gait, paws thudding on the well-trodden ground, and a wide and desperate light in their eyes. The fear scent was prevalent as well; it billowed out towards Firestar and Bramblepaw in waves, making their neck-fur spike up in response. This was dangerous and unexpected to hear. 

The sudden arrival of Ravenpaw and Barley was catching a lot of cats by surprise as well! It was good to see them again, but what could the two barn cats tell them that was so important?

He hoped it wasn't more bad news...

The fiery leader paused for a moment in indecision, glancing between the Clan's new visitors and the returned patrol in a bid to choose which one was more urgent to get to. Did it matter though? In the end he would hear what both said anyway, even if it was through what they told Greystripe. 

Yes Greystripe would take care of it, he was sure.

So after giving Bramblepaw a quick dismissal, Firestar got up and headed to group of cats quickly, with agitation and worry clashing together in his mind; how could BloodClan be making a comeback so soon after their defeat? It hadn't even reached two full moons since the battle yet! They needed to get to the bottom of this with no time to waste. He padded right up to Thornclaw as he was the leader of the patrol, noting as he did so, of the disbelief and anger that simmered in the tom's green-hued yellow eyes. 

_Right, well, no time to spare then._

"Thornclaw?" He prompted him, nodding his acknowledge to the rest of the patrol standing there. "Can you tell what happened then, while on your check along the territory there?"

The golden-brown tabby shook himself out of his stupor and gave Firestar a stiff determined nod, tail lashing as he opened his mouth to speak. What he had to say was certainly alarming to say the least; Firestar's fur started to bristle in response to the news that Thornclaw started to give in regards to his earlier statement, for what a warning it was indeed!

"We were going along the border near TwolegPlace to see how it was going along there; since the BloodClan battle nearly 2 moons ago, we haven't really dared to check there due to any lingering threats there might be... they should have all ran off from us. But we thought we might see if it was safe there today. It's just as well we did, because their stench was everywhere!" He growled with a fire burning in his normally placid eyes. 

Mousefur nodded at his words with a serious, focused gaze. She flicked her ears back unknowingly in rumination. "They obviously weren't scared enough by us, or they're planning some sort of retaliatory attack against the Clan in response to their loss."

Firestar's eyes hardened and his tail twitched with restless energy. "That certainly is disquieting to hear..." He said in reply. By the stars, why was so much going on this moon!?

A loud whispered dispute caught his ears and pulled Firestar out of the troubled thoughts he was having to himself; the hisses and growls were getting more tangible to hear as the ones who were at it drew closer to him. The choice of subject made the flame-ginger tom pick his ears and frown, the urge to reprimand rising to the back of his throat with a strength he didn't foresee.

"...Bet this has to be the result of that strange she-cat staying with us. It only makes sense since she came here and now they're attacking us again! I knew she was trouble..."

Dustpelt. _of course._

While he knew the tom was argumentative with some subjects, Firestar had been hoping this wouldn't be one of them. Maybe this should have been better discussed with the tabby and other senior warriors when he first brought an unknown cat into Camp not so long after the great battle, even if to assuage their fears a bit more. 

Firestar shook his head at the _what ifs_. That time had come and past. All he could do was get Ruby to interact and help more around camp where everyone could see her intentions were good, and gradually they would move on from their initial distrust. At least he hoped this would be the case. 

He flicked his tail in a gesture to for Thornclaw's group to go on, letting him know anything else that may be vital to the ThunderClan's safety; he was not disappointed by the obliging response to this signal.

"Ah yes... also..."

_Wait... what was Ruby doing during all of this?_

Firestar was once again distracted by a thought that sent a prickle down his spine and a worry that started to rise in his mind, making him nearly miss what Thornclaw was saying and taking priority over everything else.

_He hoped she was dealing with everything okay..._

Wait, no! He was meant to be listening to this report!

And now he was just remembering another note importance as well, something that had completely skipped his mind before now due to everything else.

Ruby had mentioned Jake a while ago, hadn't she? It was a name that sounded so familiar to him for some reason...

_"He was always so proud of you! Jake really was..."_

Why did his mother's words from a time long ago spring to his mind only now?

**Meanwhile...**

* * *

Even with all the restless energy generated from the unwelcome news, there was whispering and speculating about another factor that made itself known in the home of these cats.

ThunderClan had some new visitors today. They were standing there in the entrance of the reinforced camp walls now, rolling their shoulders and flexing their claws as they waited for the atmosphere and chattering to calm down, ebbing like a storm passing. These cats were in actuality well-known, despite the uncertain demeanor they displayed. 

And another thing that was sure to be known about them?

They were here for a purpose. That much was certain.

The first time Barley saw the huddled grey she-cat with those unusual reddish-amber eyes, he thought she was different. There she stood standing there, as if frozen in place. There seemed to be a sort of hidden beauty exuding from her quiet presence and his own distinctive pale golden-brown orbs widened when they glanced over her thin form. A mew startled him and his gaze broke away from her to focus on the sleek black tom next to him instead.

“We should make our report to Firestar now.”

Barley nodded, his mind temporarily distracted by that moment as he shook his broad head and answered his friend’s words.

“...Oh? Yes, of course…But maybe we should talk to that cat Greystripe instead? It looks like Firestar may be occupied.”

Ravenpaw frowned at him briefly with a hidden question in his eyes at the uncharacteristic absent-mindedness Barley displayed, but turned towards the dark grey-coloured tom that was second-in-command of the Clan, having spotted them both from his position in the center of the camp and was moving closer, his thick dark-furred tail waving uneasily behind him.

“This is a surprise! What brings you here Ravenpaw and Barley? Good news or…?”

The two loners glanced at each other and knew they had to warn him - the feeling that gripped their hearts was a familiar one that Barley had once felt seasons before. It was also a feeling that followed Ravenpaw, back from when he first came to be by Barley's side; it was the feeling of constant fear shadowing him. There was a danger afoot that would best be heeded, one that could spell destruction for all they had ever worked for, as well as the peace they had earned for themselves during all this time. 

Barley decided to get this over and done with, and so with a nod to his companion, he sat back on his haunches and allowed Ravenpaw to speak for the both of them. It was good to see the confidence that his dark-coated partner spoke with, compared to how he had first acted in the past. 

"It's... well... things have been happening outside the Clan territories Greystripe, beyond the moors I mean. It's in relation of strange rogues and what we think may be some remainders of BloodClan? It's not always easy to tell, as the strange cats we've seen don't really come close and have kept to themselves and away from the barn. Barley seems to recognise their behaviour though and some aspects of their appearance... So that's why we're being cautious and forewarning you in advance."

Greystripe's expression stilled for a moment as he took in the full impact that those words brought, and realising the implications that such news gave with it. 

"BloodClan... I thought we had seen the last of them when the battle was fought that moon or so ago. They still haven't seen how futile it is to fight us?" 

Barley stepped in here. "It seems not, unfortunately. Even from what I know of them, I never predicted how stubborn they'd turn out to be in this situation." He clenched his teeth and dug his claws into the ground, shoulders visibly tensing as some nearly-forgotten memories threatened to be dredged, up from the depths of his mind. No... it couldn't happen now! He thought he had gotten better than this!

_"You always were useless, Son. There's no doubt about that."_

His father's apathetic grunt echoed in his ears like the distant drones of a fly.

It took the effort of squeezing his eyes shut and the gentle sensation of Ravenpaw poking him with his nose, to finally help Barley recover from the brief lapse of awareness he just experienced. He shook his head to clear it fully and sent a grateful look to the smaller black tom by his side. "Thanks."

Ravenpaw gave a small smile. "Anytime, Bar."

A sudden wailing sound made itself heard from an area nearby, jolting all three cats out of their musings and drawing their attention to the source of the unexpected noise. It took them all by surprise when they spotted the thin form of Ruby nearby, her body shaking furiously in the clearing like a rapidly rustling bush. Greystripe's own eyes widened as he realised she must be having one of those episodes that he heard Cinderpelt talking about.

"N-N-N-No..." The she-cat whispered as her body rocked back and forth constantly, her eyes glazed and fearful at the implications that cursed name brought with it. "Anyone but them...! Please...Not BloodClan... Not BloodClan!!" She coughed after the last word, teetering on wobbly legs that threatened to collapse underneath her. 

The motion snapped the observing party out of their muddle. With no direct instruction given, the two loners swarmed forward to catch her as she finally fell; this situation was familiar to them, as both Ravenpaw and Barley had depended on each other, each time that their own demons of the past threatened to drown them in darkness. This time would be no different either.

Greystripe looked uncomfortable and unsure of what to do but he came to join them as well, propping Ruby's shoulder up onto his and resting his ear against her chest to listen to her breathing. Ravenpaw nodded in approval and that led to the grey tom's visible tension slackening in relief. Barley raised his own head to offer ThunderClan's deputy a frown, along with a query of his own for this particular role they found themselves in.

"So who is this she-cat exactly? I don't recall seeing her here before... Is she a new recruit?" The black-and-white tom sniffed the trembling grey cat curiously, wrinkling his nose at the faint smell of herbs that lingered in the she-cat's pelt. 

_It must be from old injuries_ , he surmised.

Ravenpaw copied his motions as he scrutinised the she-cat as well, realising that he didn't recognise her from anywhere either! "Hmm... you're right. She doesn't smell familiar at all. Does this mean Firestar's taking in other cats like him and Cloudtail?"

Greystripe winced, drawing their eyes to him as he swallowed uncomfortably. "Well.. not exactly. This cat here is named Ruby. From what he told me, Firestar found her collapsed in a worser state than this when he was walking on the border near TwolegPlace, so he brought her back with him for treatment. To be fair, at first we weren't intending to invite any new cats to the Clan as Firestar knows the others here, and the other Clans probably wouldn't take it so well. In a time such as this, in a short time just after The Battle, no Clan cat is truly keen to discover any unknown cats in our respective territories - even if they do turn out to be just one cat like in this case. Unless you've known them prior, It's so hard to know who to trust, unfortunately."

Greystripe paused to let that sink in, releasing a weary sigh as he did so. "That brings me to my next point, actually. What are your next movements from here? Did you just came to warn about those strange cats or have something else in mind? We could probably offer you help - there's no need to doubt that! Just let Firestar and I know what you wanted to do."

Silence reigned for a few heartbeats as the two loners thought carefully over what the deputy said. After a bit, Barley flattened his ears in unease and drew himself up in anticipation of what he was going to ask, along with Ravenpaw doing the same next to him. This was going to cost them a bit of their pride to admit to, so it was better to blurt it out now rather than make it in any way strained.

"We... Well Ravenpaw and I... were wondering if it would be possible for us to stay here for a little while? We don't trust those rogues staying near us to keep to their area, and they seem to be a dangerous sort to deal with... We need the time to organise a plan of attack with them, I think. Also to find out whether they actually are BloodClan or not. I don't like the idea of them being able to sneak around us while we sleep."

Greystripe didn't even seem to stop and consider anything - he just nodded with agreement straight away, startling both of them with his quick answer. "Of course you can. ThunderClan has many reasons to thank you two, what with you guys helping us fight off BloodClan last time among other things. You should know you two are always welcome here. I'm sure there'll be no protests. We'll just need to confirm this plan with Firestar as soon as he's finished with Thornclaw's discussion; they should be finished by now actually..." 

The dark grey tom let his voice trail off, and it wasn't hard to pick up his unsubtle mutters involving Cinderpelt's whereabouts as he sent concerned looks at the shocked and shivering cat leaning against his flank for support.

She most-likely could do with a sprig of thyme, if Barley was correct in his medicine knowledge... although he wasn't sure about suggesting it as he wasn't familiar with this new cat yet. He couldn't help but be somewhat intrigued with her though... something about her drew her to him; whether it was to be a difference that he could glean from her appearance, or the way in which she reminded him of herself in a way - he didn't know. But somehow... he wanted to know.

_Don't be silly_ , he told himself. _You have Ravenpaw!_ And Ravenpaw should really be all he felt he needed... and yet...

_Who was this cat named Ruby, and where does she come from, to know the effects of such horrors?_

Barley's mind was so cluttered with such thoughts that he completely failed to notice the presence of Firestar, and Greystripe's greeting of the leader, preferring instead to gaze off into the sky in a blank sort of way. The different voice succeeded in drawing him out of his musings with a jolt, as he was taken off guard.

"Barley and Ravenpaw! It's always good to see you two. I'm sorry for the delay - I was just discussing some plans for the current troubling news with Thornclaw; he was with the patrol that spotted some rather unwelcome visitors near TwolegPlace..." The flame-ginger tom released a rather weary-sounding sigh. Like Barley, it seemed he had a lot weighing down his mind as well.

_Just how much had been going on around this Clan lately?_ Barley wondered. It seemed like a lot, judging from their leader's behaviour. He seemed to carry himself in a way that said 'What trials are you sending our way next, StarClan?'

Barley didn't know how Clan cats coped with such an approach to these entities that seemed to deal down punishments at their whim. He wasn't about to ask either. It mustn't be an easy way to live.

"It's no trouble Firestar - Greystripe kept us up to date on what's happening around here. We've also informed him of the rise of BloodClan's activity increasing again." Ravenpaw told his ginger friend, aware of Barley's preoccupied countenance as the black-and-white tom stared listlessly at nothing next to him. This was just a normal situation in their interactions so Ravenpaw wasn't worried.

Firestar looked as though he wanted to groan in frustration. "So you've noticed it too? Looks like this is a bigger problem than I thought..." He closed his eyes for a second, as if to prepare himself, and then opened them again as he drew up his shoulders. "Okay, something needs to be done about this so... Greystripe! Can you organise a new patrol to investigate these unexpected sightings and maybe start preparing some battle plans just in case. We need to get ready for the worst, since we know how these cats think. I'll keep talking to Ravenpaw and Barley; they might have some ideas of their own too."

Greystripe sent another fleeting worried glance towards the frozen grey cat next to him but nodded at the order. Squaring his shoulders, he gently prodded Ruby in the direction of Cinderpelt's den, exchanging words with Brightheart who appeared on the way there.

Firestar's unusual serious expression loosened a bit as that was going on and he let himself slump a little. "Now that that's organised, at least we have some headway in what we're going to do about this..." He met the sympathetic gaze of Ravenpaw and hung his head a bit at the sight.

"Honestly...So much has been happening during this past moon."

Ravenpaw dipped his head at that. "I don't doubt it, Firestar. You look as though you can't catch a break, and I've seen cats at their lowest point so I would know. Maybe you need to relax a bit and talk to Sandstorm? I'm sure she could make you feel better." A little twinkle appeared in the sleek tom's green eyes as he suggested that.

Firestar just sighed and shook his head at those words. Did Ravenpaw really know how to deal with everything that was happening? Did Firestar himself? Would Sandstorm understand?

Could he lead the Clan through this, in a time that seemed like a never-ending version of another Darkest Hour? Not so long after the first?

All he could do was hope so. He was still pretty new to being leader, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer - I don't own Warriors, Erin Hunter does. The only things that are mine are any OCs and their Clans I may I make up in the future, and the idea for this particular story. (I also changed some canon cats' names because well... I wanted them to be more unique. Their prefixes are the same though, unless I make some notes on them being otherwise.) Please K&Comment if you like! xD
> 
> Also this story is based on the first ever Warriors fanfic that I wrote in a notebook when I was like 12... I've tidied it up a bit since then and made things make more sense in being not too fast and looking proper story-wise in terms of plot. If there are any suggestions on how to make this better or any grammar/spelling issues, please let me know! Thanks!


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